Azernews.Az

BAKU – Transparency International has upgraded Azerbaijan in its report on corruption level in 2010, rating the country 134rd among 178 nations.

Azerbaijan advanced nine points in comparison with the 2009 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). The country scored 2.4 out of 10 points.

This year improvement might be related to successful establishment of a financial intelligence unit and improved coordination and cooperation in combating corruption-related violations in the field of management of state and municipal property, the report said.

CPI said one of the factors stipulating the improved rating granted to the South Caucasus republic was more active involvement of citizens in anti-corruption efforts.

Denmark, New Zealand and Singapore were rated as the least corrupt countries.

Afghanistan, Myanmar and Somalia were at the bottom of the TI rankings.

The Baltic countries received the highest ratings among the former Soviet republics. Estonia ranked 26th, while Lithuania 46th and Latvia 59th.

In the South Caucasus region, Georgia ranked 68th, while Armenia 123rd. Azerbaijan’s other neighbors – Iran and Turkey - ranked 146th and 56th respectively.

Russia was rated 154th and Kazakhstan 105th.

CPI, which ranks states on perceptions of levels of public sector corruption, scores countries on a scale of zero to 10, with zero indicating high levels of corruption and 10 very low.