Australia and Qatar strengthened yesterday their co-operation in the fight against financial crime and terrorism financing by signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the sidelines of the Counter-Terrorism Financing Summit held in the Philippine capital Manila. 
Commenting on the MoU, Australian ambassador Jonathan Muir said: “Qatar is an important player in the global financial system. I welcome this agreement as a sign of the commitment of Australia and Qatar to work together globally and bilaterally to counter serious financial crime and terrorist financing. It will benefit both parties in many ways, particularly through enhanced information sharing.”
The MoU was signed by officials from the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (Austrac) and its Qatari counterpart, the Qatar Financial Intelligence Unit (QFIU). QFIU deputy head Mohamed al-Mufthah said, “QFIU was pleased to sign this MoU and welcome the benefits it will provide, particularly enhanced co-operation and information sharing between the two agencies.”
Austrac CEO Nicole Rose PSM said, “The signing of the MoU is positive for both countries and confirms the commitment to the exchange of financial intelligence information between Austrac and the QFUI. Adding Austrac’s comprehensive network of international counterparts is critical in the fight against money laundering and terrorism financing.”