Comprehensive Cooperation to Be Established with Saudi Arabia in Preventing and Combating Corruption
On 18 April, the Director of the Anti-Corruption Agency, Akmal Burkhanov, received the President of the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority of Saudi Arabia (Nazaha), H.E. Mazin bin Ibrahim AL-Kahmous.
The meeting focused on strengthening professional ties between anti-corruption agencies of the two countries, discussing mechanisms and areas of sharing experience, as well as using the opportunities of the two countries in enhancing staff capacity.
For reference: The Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority of Saudi Arabia (formerly the National Anti-Corruption Commission) is responsible for administrative oversight of public entities, safeguarding integrity, enhancing transparency, and combating corruption.
The first dialogue between the heads of the two institutions was organized within the framework of the Second Ministerial Meeting of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Agencies in OIC Member States, held in Doha (Qatar) in November 2024. As a practical result of this dialogue, this meeting began with an exchange of views on the work being done to combat corruption in the two countries, and then discussed possibilities for establishing mutually beneficial relations in this area.
During the meeting, H.E. Mazin bin Ibrahim AL-Kahmous commended the measures taken in this track by the political will of the President, and also noted that Uzbekistan is achieving significant results in this field among the countries of the region, which followed by steady rise of Uzbekistan’s position in international anti-corruption rankings and indices.
In turn, the Agency’s director Akmal Burkhanov stressed the importance of international cooperation in developing anti-corruption reforms in Uzbekistan, noting that a thorough study of Saudi Arabia’s best practices in this area would further enhance the potential for new mechanisms to combat corruption.
After that, the parties held talks on exchange of experience, implementation of training programs, internships and joint projects aimed at improving the capacity and skills of employees of the two departments, as well as cooperation in other areas.
During the meeting the heads of the Anti-Corruption Agency and the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority signed a Memorandum of Understanding.
The MoU aims to strengthen cooperation in preventing and combating corruption, as well as developing and strengthening the institutional capacity of participants.
The MoU provides for mutual cooperation in the following areas:
exchange of research and development on preventive measures against corruption;
exchange of information on scientific and other research on criminal factors and actions leading to corruption, as well as on measures for their prevention;
exchange of experience and information for joint training courses, seminars and technical cooperation programs;
support for the implementation of joint projects to create an atmosphere of integrity and intolerance of corruption in society, as well as the development of anti-corruption policies and strategies, etc.
At the end of the meeting, the participants emphasized that the establishment of effective cooperation between the two sides is mutually beneficial for both countries.
Press Office,
the Anti-Corruption Agency