This interview was conducted as a part of interview series in The Rīga Conference 2021
At both, the state and the international levels, the importance of intelligence cannot be stressed enough. Financial intelligence as a key indicator and collaborator to traditional human intelligence is rarely discussed. In recent years, the grip on money laundering attempts has been tightened and thus the associated threat of terrorism financing has also been put in the spotlight. This raises numerous questions on the importance of financial intelligence and its influence on international security. Furthermore, Latvia has invested in rebuilding its reputation after numerous money laundering scandals and after years of work is now one of the runners to host the new EU anti-money laundering authority (AMLA). To what extent does financial intelligence contribute to international security?
Ilze Znotiņa, Head of the Financial Intelligence Unit of Latvia
Pauls Raudseps, journalist, Chairman of the board at Cits Medijs