Switzerland promised to help Kazakhstan in returning the stolen money

Kazakhstan and Switzerland have agreed on mutual assistance in criminal matters and asset recovery. The corresponding memorandum was signed in Bern by the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Kazakhstan Berik Asylov, his Swiss counterpart Stefan Blattler and the Deputy Director of the Federal Office of Justice of Switzerland Laurence Fontana Youngo. This is reported by the Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

According to the agency, the main topic of the negotiations was topical issues of international legal cooperation in the field of criminal cases, as well as improving the efficiency of mechanisms for the return of illegally withdrawn assets.

During the meeting, Asylov spoke about the law on the return of illegally withdrawn assets adopted in July 2023 in Kazakhstan and the creation of a special committee and fund in the Prosecutor General's Office of Kazakhstan that manages the returned capital. He noted that more than $3.5 billion has been returned to Kazakhstan since 2022.

In turn, the Swiss side confirmed its readiness to continue supporting Kazakhstan in the return of illegally withdrawn assets and the development of international cooperation. The Swiss representatives also supported Kazakhstan's aspiration to join the European Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters.