Indonesia, Switzerland Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement to Assist Asset Recovery
Jakarta. Justice and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly said Indonesia and Switzerland should sign their Mutual Legal Assistance, or MLA, treaty as soon as possible to strengthen bilateral legal cooperation between the two countries and help with Indonesia's asset recovery efforts.
According to a press release issued by the Justice and Human Rights Ministry, Indonesia and Switzerland completed the second round of negotiations on the treaty in August.
The agreement is expected to pave ways for future negotiations with other European countries.
"Although Switzerland is not a member of the European Union, the country has a special agreement with the EU on law enforcement cooperation. This will benefit Indonesia in the future, [especially] in negotiations with EU member countries," Yasonna said in the statement.
During meetings with Swiss government representatives in Vienna, Austria, Yasonna said he hoped the approved draft of the treaty will be signed soon to help support the Indonesian government's asset recovery efforts.
"This will give a clear message to criminals who have wrongly assumed that Swiss financial service providers are a safety net for them," Yasonna said.
During his visit to Vienna, Yasonna also attended the 7th session of the Conference of State Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC).
In his speech at the conference, the minister highlighted the importance of political will in international cooperation.
"... Differences in justice systems should not hinder the effectiveness and success of cooperation in international asset recovery. What’s most important is political will," Yasonna said.
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