VZCZCXRO2748
RR RUEHVK
DE RUEHUM #0475/01 1700407
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 190407Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY ULAANBAATAR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0030
INFO RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 2310
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5071
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 1527
RUEHVK/AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK 0046
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 0762
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ULAANBAATAR 000475 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/CM, NP AND EB/ESC/ESP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EFIN PTER KCRM PREL ETTC MG KS
SUBJECT: TREASURY DAS GLASER PRESSES ILLICIT FINANCE, 
NORTH KOREAN CONCERNS WITH MONGOLIAN GOVERNMENT AND 
BANKS 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - NOT FOR INTERNET 
DISTRIBUTION. 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: During Deputy Assistant Secretary for 
Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes Daniel 
Glaser's June 9 meetings with Government of Mongolia 
officials and banking representatives, he discussed 
U.S. concerns with respect to North Korean illicit 
activities.  He discussed U.S. actions against WMD 
proliferation entities as well as its efforts against 
Banco Delta Asia (BDA) in Macau, and how these efforts 
have compelled North Korean entities to seek financial 
services elsewhere, including Mongolia.  Glaser 
stressed the need for vigilance, and Mongolian 
officials responded that they took these issues 
seriously and were committed to ensuring their 
financial system was not abused by North Korean 
entities engaged in illicit activities.  Glaser also 
discussed the importance of passing effective anti- 
money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing 
(CTF) legislation as well as building a strong 
supervisory framework and regulatory systems that meet 
international standards.  He underscored the importance 
of strengthening Mongolia's AML/CTF regime not only to 
better protect itself from illicit finance more 
generally, but because this would better enable 
Mongolia to protect itself from being exploited by 
North Korean or other entities engaged in illicit 
activities, including WMD proliferation.  Glaser 
expressed appreciation for Mongolia's cooperation in 
this regard.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (U) Treasury Deputy Assistant Secretary for 
Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes Daniel Glaser, 
accompanied by Amit Sharma, Treasury Department Senior 
Advisor, Terrorist Financing & Financial Crimes and 
Anthony J.Ruggiero, Defensive Measures Action Officer, 
Office of Counterproliferation Initiatives, State 
Department,  visited Mongolia June 9-10.  In addition 
to meeting with the Ambassador and country team, DAS 
Glaser met June 9 with representatives of the Bank of 
Mongolia, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Justice, 
Foreign Ministry, the Financial Regulatory Commission 
and Mongolian law enforcement and security agencies. In 
addition, he met with the representatives of Mongolian 
commercial banks and non-bank financial institutions. 
 
¶3. (SBU)  In his meetings with GOM and banking 
officials, DAS Glaser: 
 
-- Discussed U.S. concerns with respect to North Korea, 
including WMD proliferation, currency counterfeiting, drug 
trafficking and associated money laundering.  He described 
U.S. actions to protect the international financial system 
from abuse by North Korean or other entities engaged in such 
activity, such as the Section 311 designation of Banco Delta 
Asia (BDA) in Macau and the EO 13382 designations of North 
Korean entities engaged in proliferation activities. 
 
-- Encouraged GOM and Mongolia's financial community to 
continue to be vigilant to North Korean entities looking to 
them to facilitate their illicit activities.  He noted that 
as a result of the BDA action, DPRK entities are looking 
throughout Asia for financial institutions to facilitate 
their illicit activities.  He thanked them for their efforts 
thus far to ensure such abuse was prevented in the Mongolian 
financial system, and encouraged ongoing efforts in this 
area. 
 
-- Encouraged Mongolia to pass needed Anti-Money-Laundering 
(AML) legislation that met international standards as soon 
as possible.  Mongolia is scheduled for an Asia Pacific 
Group (APG) mutual evaluation this fall and the absence of a 
suitable AML law would reflect very poorly on their 
assessment.  Passage of AML legislation would send a strong 
signal to the international finance community that Mongolia 
is serious about AML, and that they are serious about 
combating illicit finance of all kinds.  Glaser noted that 
the international financial community is increasingly aware 
 
ULAANBAATA 00000475  002 OF 002 
 
 
of weak AML regimes and has begun declining business where 
strong AML laws and systems are absent.  In fact, Mongolian 
banks have recently had difficulty establishing 
correspondent banking relationships for lack of an AML law. 
 
-- Encouraged Mongolia to review existing laws and pass a 
counter-terrorism finance (CTF) law compliant with 
international standards in addition to an AML law. 
 
-- Stressed the need for banks to keep in mind concerns 
about North Korean illicit activities including money- 
laundering and weapons of mass destruction proliferation . 
Glaser cited how responsible jurisdictions and financial 
institutions have reacted after the U.S. designation of BDA 
as a "primary money laundering concern."  The absence of AML 
and CFT laws and a strong supervisory regime provide an 
attractive environment for DPRK entities that they may wish 
to exploit - sending them the message that Mongolia is a 
safe place to do illicit business.  This poses a significant 
reputational risk to Mongolian institutions if improper 
activities are exposed. 
 
-- Encouraged all GOM stakeholders to actively participate 
in Mongolia's development of their AML/CFT regime.  Also 
encouraged all stakeholders (not just Central Bank 
officials) to participate in the APG to ensure all relevant 
sectors are aware of the international standards and 
understand the importance of building a comprehensive 
AML/CFT regime.  The upcoming APG Plenary in July is 
particularly timely in this regard as Mongolia is slated to 
undergo a mutual evaluation this fall - which will be a 
comprehensive assessment of its AML/CTF capabilities in all 
relevant sectors. 
 
-- Expressed appreciation for cooperation from GOM and 
financial community; both are strong partners in the efforts 
to clamp down on illicit financial activities, in particular 
those associated with North Korea. 
 
¶4. (SBU)  Highlights of his meetings included: 
 
-- Acknowledgement by Mongolian commercial bankers of 
risks posed to their banks and Mongolia's financial 
system by illicit activities and specifically North 
Korean activities. 
 
-- A Golomt Bank representative described the problems 
it faced as a result of a recent North Korean banking 
transaction (the February transfer of US$1 million and 
Yen 2 million in cash).  Golomt has cut its 
relationships with DPRK firms and banks. 
 
-- Virtually all contacts sought more information on 
AML and CTF efforts as well as additional training in 
institutional AML/CFT best practices. 
 
-- Law enforcement and security agency officials 
flagged potential legal authority and enforcement 
problems in Mongolia's pending AML law. 
 
-- Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials revealed that 
the government is moving to tighten down on travel by 
North Koreans by requiring visas for North Koreans 
except for North Korean diplomatic or official passport 
holders. MFA and MOF officials agreed that North Korean 
illicit activities posed a threat to Mongolia and 
requested that the U.S. share as much information 
specific to North Korean activities in Mongolia. 
 
¶5. (U) DAS Glaser cleared this message. 
 
SLUTZ