The Governor of the Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo (CBAK), Ahmet Ismaili, participated as a speaker in a panel at the Annual Conference themed “The Role of the Central Bank and the Banking System on the Road to the EU”, organized in Tirana by the Bank of Albania and the Albanian Banking Association.
The high-level conference was attended by leaders and senior officials from international financial institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, governors, and representatives from the academic world.
During the meeting, central bank representatives exchanged views and experiences on building effective institutional networks for successful integration into the European Union, as well as on cooperative efforts between the central banks of the Western Balkans, led by the European Central Bank.
Governor Ismaili participated in the Governors Panel on “Institutional Roadmaps and Efficient Networks”, chaired by Mr. Poul Thomsen, former Director of the European Department at the International Monetary Fund. The panel included governors from the Bank of Albania, the National Bank of the Republic of North Macedonia, and the Central Bank of Montenegro.
In his address, Governor Ismaili discussed how recent challenges were addressed, key macroeconomic indicators, and developments in the financial sector. He elaborated on the reforms undertaken by the CBAK to advance the legal framework in alignment with European countries, as well as initiatives taken to increase the country’s financial stability.
Furthermore, Governor Ismaili spoke about the progress and steps taken by the CBAK to integrate the Republic of Kosovo into the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA).
Convergence with the EU brings significant benefits to the financial sector and the country’s economy in general, and as such, the CBAK remains committed to implementing reforms that align the financial sector with those of EU countries.
The CBAK is in a continuous process of harmonizing its legislation with the regulations and directives of the EU, as well as the supervisory practices of European regulatory authorities, while continuing to strengthen cooperation with central banks in the region and the EU, as well as with international financial institutions.
