Dr Herinjatovo Aimé Ramiarison now presides over the ESAAMLG Council of Ministers. Madagascar has taken the helm of ESAAMLG for the period from September 2026 to August 2027. The Minister of Economy and Finance, Dr Herinjatovo Aimé Ramiarison, becomes president of the Council of Ministers of this regional organization committed to combating money laundering and illicit financial flows. A new regional responsibility for Madagascar Following the 52nd meeting of the "Task Force of Senior Officials" and the 26th meeting of the ESAAMLG Council of Ministers (Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group), held from August 31 to September 4 in Kigali, Rwanda, Madagascar officially assumed the presidency of the Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group for a one-year term. The handover between Rwanda and Madagascar was one of the highlights of this meeting. The Minister of Economy and Finance, Dr Herinjatovo Aimé Ramiarison, succeeds his Rwandan counterpart as incoming president of the ESAAMLG Council of Ministers. The handover ceremony was also honored by the presence of Malagasy Prime Minister Mamitiana Rajaonarison, head of government, underscoring the importance Madagascar attaches to this regional responsibility. Four priorities For his mandate, the Malagasy minister has defined four strategic axes. Madagascar intends first to lead with exemplarity and solidarity the third cycle of mutual evaluation of member countries. It will also strengthen the fight against illicit financial flows linked to natural resources and environmental crime, an issue particularly important for economies rich in natural resources. The Malagasy presidency also plans to establish a statistics management system within the organization. Finally, it seeks to strengthen risk-based supervision, with particular attention to compliance by virtual asset service providers, in a context where new financial and digital instruments pose new challenges to regulatory authorities. Regional positioning This presidency also represents an opportunity for Madagascar to strengthen its position within regional mechanisms to combat financial crime. ESAAMLG is notably involved in combating money laundering, terrorist financing, and financing of weapons of mass destruction proliferation. The Malagasy delegation in Kigali included representatives from the presidency, the prime minister's office, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, SAMIFIN, and the Banking and Financial Supervision Commission. Within the MEF, the DAI, DGT, DGI, and DGD were represented. The Malagasy presidency will culminate notably with the organization in Madagascar of the next ESAAMLG Council of Ministers meeting, scheduled for August 2027.