Belgrade, 26 May 2021

Today the Director of the Albanian Asset Management Office, Mr. Qirjako Theodhori, the BAMIN Secretariat, represented by Ms. Jill Thomas, and the OSCE Mission to Serbia attended the meeting hosted by the Directorate for Management of Confiscated Assets of the Republic of Serbia.

The visit was organised in the framework of the Balkan Asset Management Interagency Network (BAMIN) and funded by the OSCE, within the project “Strengthening the fight against transnational organized crime in South-Eastern Europe through improved regional co-operation in asset seizure, confiscation, management and re-use” in a specific activitie that facilitated the exchange of information and practices as well as discussion on the possibility for Serbia to join the BAMIN as a Member in 2021.

During the meeting, both Asset Management Offices had a comprehensive discussion on the practices used to manage assets, focusing in particular on vehicles and properties of citizens residing in other countries, good practices as well as laws and bylaws that can improve capacity to manage seized and confiscated assets and enhance cross-border cooperation. Furthermore, the possibility of peer-to-peer exchange in the framework of the BAMIN was discussed and well received to further facilitate the exchange of best practices.

The meeting sets an important milestone in the BAMIN, further expanding its members and support in the region.