Vietnamese interagency delegation attends the 28th APG Annual Meeting in Brunei

From 27 to 31 July 2026, a Vietnamese interagency delegation comprising representatives of the State Bank of Vietnam, the Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Government attended the 28th Annual Meeting of the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei.

The 2026 APG Annual Meeting was chaired by the two APG Co-Chairs, Mr Mitsutoshi Kajikawa of the Ministry of Finance of Japan and Deputy Commissioner Lesa Gale of the Australian Federal Police, and was attended by more than 300 delegates from 42 member jurisdictions, 8 observers and 36 international organisations, including the World Bank (WB), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Egmont Group.

During the Meeting, delegates attended the technical session of the Mutual Evaluation Committee (MEC), the session on the follow-up process after mutual evaluations (FUR), the review mechanism of the International Co-operation Review Group (ICRG) and the Technical Assistance and Training Forum. At these sessions, the APG Secretariat provided updates on amendments to the procedures for the fifth round of mutual evaluations and the schedule of upcoming mutual evaluations, and discussed changes to the FUR process and the ICRG review mechanism.

Photo 1: The Vietnamese interagency delegation at the 2026 APG Annual Meeting

The Meeting also heard Malaysia, Singapore and Canada share their experience and practical lessons in preparing for the fifth round of mutual evaluations. These are the first three member jurisdictions to be evaluated by the APG and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) under the fifth-round mutual evaluation procedures, providing much useful information and experience for member jurisdictions preparing for upcoming evaluations.

In addition, the Meeting held plenary sessions chaired by the two APG Co-Chairs, focusing on reviewing, discussing and voting to adopt many important matters relating to the APG's activities. Accordingly, the Meeting adopted the mutual evaluation reports of three members, Malaysia, Singapore and Canada (which are also FATF members); matters concerning the governance, strategic plan, budget and resources of the APG; agreed on the priorities of the APG Co-Chair for the 2026-2028 term; and adopted the mutual evaluation programme and activities to assist members in preparing for the fifth round of mutual evaluations. The Meeting also agreed that Brunei would replace Japan as APG Co-Chair alongside Australia for the 2026-2028 term.

Under the APG mutual evaluation schedule, Vietnam, together with Macao, Thailand and Cambodia, is expected to undergo its third mutual evaluation of its anti-money laundering, counter-terrorist financing and counter-proliferation financing regime in 2028. In 2027, the APG Secretariat is expected to make a mission to Vietnam to assist the country in preparing for the mutual evaluation process.

Within the framework of the Technical Assistance and Training Forum, the Vietnamese delegation held meetings with representatives of donors and international partners, including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the World Bank (WB), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the anti-money laundering authorities of Japan, New Zealand, Australia and the United States, to discuss Vietnam's technical assistance needs in the coming period, particularly support for preparing for the APG mutual evaluation of Vietnam. All partners expressed their willingness to continue accompanying and supporting Vietnam in improving its legal framework, enhancing its enforcement capacity and effectively meeting international standards on anti-money laundering, counter-terrorist financing and counter-proliferation financing.

On the sidelines of the Meeting, the Vietnamese delegation held bilateral meetings with the APG Secretariat, the ICRG and a number of Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) to discuss progress in implementing Vietnam's tasks in the field of anti-money laundering, preparations for the 2028 mutual evaluation and the strengthening of international cooperation. Vietnam's efforts to amend, supplement and improve its legal framework on anti-money laundering were recognised by international partners. At the same time, the partners recommended that Vietnam continue to accelerate the fulfilment of its commitments to the FATF, proactively implement the remaining tasks and prepare early for the mutual evaluation scheduled for 2028.

Alongside its participation in the Meeting, the Anti-Money Laundering Department - Vietnam Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU Vietnam) held a ceremony to sign Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) on information exchange with the FIU of China and the FIU of the Cook Islands. The signing of these Memoranda of Understanding contributes to strengthening international cooperation and promoting information exchange for anti-money laundering purposes, while affirming the role and standing of FIU Vietnam in the cooperation network of Financial Intelligence Units worldwide.

Photo 2: The Vietnamese interagency delegation at the signing of the cooperation memorandum with the Financial Intelligence Unit of China

The participation of the Vietnamese interagency delegation in the 28th APG Annual Meeting reaffirms Vietnam's strong commitment to implementing international standards on anti-money laundering, counter-terrorist financing and counter-proliferation financing. It was also an important opportunity for Vietnam to strengthen cooperation with international partners, mobilise resources and technical assistance, and exchange and learn from experience in order to effectively serve the improvement of its legal framework, the enhancement of its enforcement capacity and proactive preparation for the APG mutual evaluation of Vietnam in 2028.

Nguyen Thanh Tung - Centre 81