Summary
Britain is leading a group of European Union states who are trying to block an EU plan to include Saudi Arabia and 22 other jurisdictions on a blacklist of countries that pose money-laundering and terrorism financing threats, sources said.
The list needs the endorsement of a majority of the 28 EU nations but Britain and other heavyweights of the bloc, including Germany, France, Italy and Spain, are raising concerns, three EU officials told Reuters.
Panama's Ambassador to the EU Miguel Verzbolovskis said the country had reformed its anti-money laundering rules and urged the EU not to include Panama in the new list.
The EU official said the Saudis had threatened to cancel lucrative contracts in some EU countries.
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