The Vatican said on Saturday said that its financial crimes watchdog had signed cooperation deals with Britain, France and four other nations — Malta, Poland, Romania and Peru.
Under the agreements, the Financial Intelligence Authority (AIF) agreed to “exchange of financial information to fight money laundering and combat terrorist financing,” a statement said.
Similar deals are already in place with nine other countries, including Italy, Germany and the United States. In 2013, the AIF was admitted into the Egmont Group, a worldwide association of financial regulators.
In recent years, the Vatican has acted on international pressure to clean up its act in financial matters. Its bank, the Institute for Religious Works, had for decades been accused of being a money laundering hub for criminals and tax evaders.
Earlier in the week, Pope Francis overhauled the membership of the five-member panel that oversees the AIF. He replaced five veteran Italian counsellors with a more international ensemble, comprising four non-Italians.
