Azerbaijan, Baku, June 17 / Trend, E.Tariverdiyeva /
A team from the European Anti-Fraud Office is visiting Azerbaijan from June 13-17, 2011. The purpose of the visit is to ensure the regularity and efficiency of how the financial support provided by the European Union is used, EU representation's press release says.
"The focus of the visit is on the support to civil society projects in Azerbaijan as well as to support the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Azerbaijan in its efforts to ensure the quality and cost-effectiveness of its close cooperation with Azerbaijani civil society," the press release says.
Although not coordinated or aligned with the Government of Azerbaijan's on-going anti-corruption drive, the present European Anti-Fraud Office visit follows the same aim of ensuring the correct and efficient use of public funds.
The Community Institutions and Member States of the European Union attach great importance to the protection of the financial and economic interests of the Community, as well as to the fight against illegal activities prejudicial to the Community budget.
In order to strengthen the means of fraud prevention and the fight against such activities, the Commission therefore established within itself, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) in 1999. The Office was given responsibility for conducting administrative anti-fraud investigations by having conferred on it a special independent status, the press release says.