Governor Ismaili hosts the new IMF Mission on strengthening CBK cybersecurity, risk management, and AI governance

The Governor of the Central Bank of the Republic of Kosova (CBK), Mr. Ahmet Ismaili, accompanied by Deputy Governors Mr. Dardan Fusha and Mr. Milot Cakaj, together with senior associates, welcomed a delegation of experts from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), led by Mr. Gabriel Andrade and joined by Mr. Majid Malaika, within the framework of ongoing cooperation between the CBK and the IMF.

The IMF Mission is led by Mr. Gabriel Andrade, Director of the Compliance and Risk Management Department at the Central Bank of Portugal (Banco de Portugal), and Mr. Majid Malaika from the IMF’s IT Department and Digital Advisory team. The mission aims to support the CBK in the implementation of a new project focused on risk management, cybersecurity, and the internal use of artificial intelligence (AI).

Governor Ismaili briefed the IMF delegation on the CBK’s ongoing work and strategic priorities in the areas of risk management, cybersecurity, and internal AI use. This mission follows the CBK’s formal request for IMF Technical Assistance (TA), which was confirmed in June 2025 and aligns with the CBK’s Strategic Plan.

At the outset of the meeting, Governor Ismaili emphasized the CBK’s progress in implementing recommendations from previous IMF Technical Assistance missions, as well as ongoing joint projects across various areas, including the most recent risk management mission led by Mr. Andrade.

Discussions focused on current challenges affecting risk management, particularly in the context of heightened geopolitical risks, cyber risks with an emphasis on third-party exposures, and emerging risks related to artificial intelligence.

During this phase of the visit to the CBK premises, the IMF mission will present the findings of its desk review and engage in in-depth discussions with the CBK’s Risk Management, IT, and Cybersecurity Departments to define next steps. The recommendations resulting from this mission will inform the CBK’s action plan to further strengthen institutional resilience, expertise, and standards in these critical areas, in line with international best practices.