Governor Ismaili participates as a panelist in the Regional Governors’ Meeting organized by the Central Bank of Croatia in Pula

The Governor of the Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo (CBK), Mr. Ahmet Ismaili, participated as a panelist in the Regional Governors’ Meeting organized by the Croatian National Bank, a member of the Eurosystem, held on 14–15 May 2026 in Pula, Croatia.

The meeting brought together central bank governors from Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe, including the governors of Kosovo, Slovenia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, and Croatia, to discuss key developments related to financial stability, inflation dynamics, the financial sector, digital finance, regulatory challenges, and financial integration.

As part of the public programme, the Governors’ Roundtable was held on 15 May 2026 at the Faculty of Economics and Tourism under the title “From Experiment to Infrastructure: Digital Assets in the Traditional Financial World”, following a keynote address on digital currencies and their geopolitical implications.

Governor Ismaili took part in the roundtable alongside governors of regional central banks, where he presented Kosovo’s recent economic and financial developments and highlighted the continued progress of the country’s financial sector reform agenda.

In his remarks, Governor Ismaili emphasized that, while the economic outlook remains subject to uncertainties related to global energy markets and geopolitical developments, inflation is expected to gradually moderate over the medium term. He underlined that, in the context of digital financial transformation, central banks should act as principled facilitators, supporting innovation while safeguarding monetary integrity, financial stability, consumer protection, and fair competition.

Governor Ismaili noted that digital transformation is already reshaping financial services and requires proactive, risk-based, and forward-looking engagement by regulators to ensure that innovation develops within a sound, trusted, and resilient framework.

He also presented Kosovo’s progress in modernizing its financial system and aligning with European standards. In this context, he highlighted key reforms, including progress toward SEPA integration, the development of instant payments through the TIPS Clone initiative, and the establishment of a comprehensive regulatory framework for payment services and crypto-assets aligned with EU practices. These reforms are expected to contribute to greater financial inclusion, increased competition, and lower transaction costs, particularly for cross-border payments and remittances.

Addressing regulatory challenges and emerging risks, Governor Ismaili emphasized that, while digital innovation evolves rapidly, core financial risks such as leverage, opacity, interconnectedness, and operational vulnerabilities remain highly relevant. He stressed the importance of strengthened supervisory capacity, enhanced cyber resilience, and effective regional cooperation to safeguard financial stability in an increasingly digital and interconnected financial system.

Regarding central bank digital currencies and the digital euro, Governor Ismaili highlighted their role as public monetary infrastructure that can help preserve trust in money in the digital era. He noted that the digital euro could support financial stability, innovation, and Europe’s strategic autonomy in payments, while emphasizing that Kosovo, as a euroized economy, is closely following these developments and preparing for compatibility with future European payment frameworks.

Governor Ismaili also underlined the importance of regional cooperation and alignment with European standards, noting that deeper financial integration can enhance resilience, improve access to finance, and support sustainable economic growth.

In closing, Governor Ismaili thanked the Croatian National Bank for the excellent organization of the meeting and reaffirmed the CBK’s commitment to advancing digital transformation, strengthening financial stability, and further aligning Kosovo’s financial system with European standards and integration objectives.

He also expressed appreciation to Mr. Boris Vujčić, Governor of the Croatian National Bank, for his leadership and extended his best wishes for continued success in his upcoming role as Vice-President of the European Central Bank, which he will assume on 1 June 2026.