Luke Bronin, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes visited Tbilisi on December 12-13 to discuss importance of implementation of sanctions against Iran, the U.S. embassy in Georgia said on Thursday.

Bronin, who was in Azerbaijan for similar reasons earlier this week, met in Georgia, which as visa-free travel rules with Iran, with government officials and representatives of the Georgian business community.

“As Iran comes under increasing financial pressure, it will look for opportunities to build new relationships to evade sanctions. Iran is adept and deceptive, and it is important for financial institutions and others, including here in Georgia, to recognize the serious risks of engaging with Iran,” Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Bronin said in remarks released by the U.S. embassy.

The embassy said that discussions during Bronin’s visit focused on a range of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing issues and “emphasized the importance of strong and effective implementation of international sanctions against Iran.”

“The U.S. places great value in the relationship it has with Georgia and appreciates the Government of Georgia’s commitment to combating illicit finance,” the U.S. embassy said.