The meeting chaired by Jacob J. Lew, US Secretary of the Treasury, and attended for the first time by ministers of finance discussed measures for the isolation of the terrorist group Islamic State (ISIL) from international financial systems and other efforts by the international community to combat terrorism financing.
While introducing Lithuania's contribution into the efforts to prevent the financing of terrorism, Andrius Krivas noted that a global and well-coordinated response by the international community was needed to combat the phenomenon.
"The financing of terrorism is an integral part of the general terrorist threat; that is why combating recruitment of terrorists, flows of foreign terrorist fighters, and illicit trafficking of arms and holding perpetrators to account are of utmost importance, too," the Vice-Minister said.
Combating terrorism is among the top priorities of Lithuanian membership of the UN Security Council. It was for the first time in the history of the UN Security Council that debates on foreign terrorist fighters by interior ministers took place in May 2015, while Lithuania was holding presidency of the UNSC. During its presidency, Lithuania also initiated the resolution on limiting illegal spread of small arms and light weapons and on protection of civilians in armed conflict. Lithuania currently chairs the UN Security Council Anti-Terrorism Committee (1373).
