Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU), an Institution of National Importance, today hosted the valedictory ceremony marking the successful conclusion of the five-day BRICS Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) training programme on emerging risks, FATF methodologies, and BRICS best practices. The international capacity-building initiative brought together delegates and experts at RRU’s Lavad campus to strengthen cross-border financial security and compliance frameworks.

Prof. Dr. Bimal N. Patel, Vice-Chancellor, RRU, delivered the Welcome Address, while Dr. Suhel Ajaz Khan, Additional Secretary, Counter-Terrorism Division, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India, and Her Excellency Mrs. Lalatiana Accouche, High Commissioner of the Republic of Seychelles to India, addressed the gathering as Guest of Honor and Chief Guest, respectively.

Delivering the Welcome Address, Prof. Dr. Bimal N. Patel highlighted the university's commitment to extending security education, research, and innovation to the Global South. Emphasizing RRU’s unique integrated approach that brings defense and police forces under one academic platform, he noted that global security fundamentally relies on the collective safety of individual nation-states. Prof. Patel also extended an open invitation to participating nations to collaborate with India and RRU to establish similar security laboratories and centers of excellence in their home jurisdictions.

In his Special Address, Dr. Suhel Ajaz Khan reflected on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, underscoring that terrorism remains a grave global threat heavily reliant on illicit finance. He stressed the urgent need for international systems to adapt to digital platforms, virtual assets, and complex corporate structures. Dr. Khan outlined the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) 11 Immediate Outcomes spanning financial intelligence, beneficial ownership, and targeted financial sanctions as foundational benchmarks for global readiness. He also highlighted India’s robust AML/CFT ecosystem, its high technical compliance recognized in the 2024 FATF Mutual Evaluation, and the critical role of multilateral cooperation within the BRICS framework.

Addressing the delegates, Her Excellency Mrs. Lalatiana Accouche commended the enduring partnership between India and Seychelles, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations. She emphasized that because modern criminal networks are sophisticated and transnational, law enforcement agencies must continuously adapt their investigative and analytical methodologies. Highlighting the shared maritime security interests in the Indian Ocean, she praised international capacity-building initiatives not merely as a transfer of knowledge but as a vital mechanism for empowering professionals, strengthening institutions, and building sustainable, cross-border networks.

Speaking to the delegates in one of the sessions, Mr Smarak Swain, Director of the FATF Cell, Ministry of Finance, stated, “The BRICS leadership had resolved in the Kazan Declaration of 2024 and in the Rio de Janeiro Declaration of 2025 to enhance dialogue on anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism. In this context, for the first time ever, the Indian chairmanship hosted four capacity-building programmes this year. The FATF Cell hosted a webinar and then, in partnership with the NADT, held a programme in Nagpur. RBI Staff College held a training in Chennai, and the series culminates with this capacity-building programme by RRU at its campus in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

The concluding training programme focused heavily on navigating emerging risks in financial crime and executing FATF methodologies. Participants engaged with practical frameworks for cross-border evidence sharing, risk coordination, and the disruption of terrorist financing lifelines.

In five years, RRU has evolved into a strategic soft power institution with more than 60,000 beneficiaries. Through Ministry of External Affairs partnerships and various international collaborations, the university has trained over 3,000 participants from more than 90 countries, cementing its role as a global leader in internal security, policing, and defence management.

The programme officially concluded on 11 September 2026, directly ahead of the upcoming BRICS Summit to be hosted by India in New Delhi, where the forthcoming Delhi Declaration is expected to place a strong continued emphasis on international counter-terrorism cooperation.

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