Interior minister Ivan Demerdzhiev spoke with Birgit Strobel-Scholl of the Secretariat of the Global Operational Network of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities, the interior ministry said. The network works under the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.

The ministry press office said on Monday that the minister was on a working visit to Austria. In Vienna, he called for closer international co-operation at the 13th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.

Where it began: Demerdzhiev calls for joint action against organised crime at UN conference in Vienna

He and Strobel-Scholl discussed how institutions can make more active use of the network's tools: direct contacts between the relevant authorities, timely exchange of information and support for cross-border investigations.

They focused mostly on how to trace illegally acquired assets when they are hidden in complex international financial structures or in cryptocurrencies. They also spoke about what new technology can offer in financial investigations.

Demerdzhiev says corruption increasingly crosses national borders and is closely linked to organised crime and money laundering. He believes strong national institutions and fast international co-operation are needed so that offenders cannot take advantage of differences between legal systems.

"Our goal is for international anti-corruption standards to turn into real results – effective investigations, tracing of criminal money flows and fewer ways to hide illegal assets," Demerdzhiev said.