The Financial Intelligence Agency of Bermuda (FIA Bermuda) has been elected as the co-regional representative for the Egmont Group’s Americas Region.The Americans region comprises of 32 English, Spanish and Dutch-speaking Egmont members Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) in North, Central and South American jurisdictions in the Caribbean Basin, including Bermuda.The FIA Bermuda received the endorsement on July 13, 2011 at the 19th Egmont Group Plenary meetings held in Yerevan, Armenia. It replaced FIU Bahamas, which held the position for three terms. The FIA Bermuda will share this position with the FIU-Mexico, the Spanish-speaking representative for the Americas Region, for a two-year period.The Egmont Group comprises of 127 member FIUs. Bermuda became a member of the Egmont Group in May, 1999.The goal of the Egmont Group is to provide a forum for FIUs around the world to improve co-operation in the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing and to implementation of domestic programmes in their field, including expanding and systemising international co-operation in the reciprocal exchange of information, increasing the effectiveness of FIUs through training and promoting personnel exchanges to improve the expertise and capabilities of personnel employed by FIUs, and promoting the operational autonomy of FIUsThe heads of FIUs (HoFIUs), the Egmont Committee, the Working Groups and the Egmont Group Secretariat make up the operating structure of the Egmont Group.Attorney General and Justice Minister Michael Scott said: “I am very proud that Bermuda continues to punch above its weight in international circles of influence including one as prestigious as the Egmont Group. This endorsement also shows how diligently the members of the FIA Bermuda have been working to ensure that our Island does all that it can to prevent and detect money laundering, terrorist financing and proceeds of criminal conduct.”