Governor Ismaili received in Paris by senior officials of the Banque de France and signs Cooperation Agreement

The Governor of the Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo (CBK), Mr. Ahmet Ismaili, conducted an official visit to the headquarters of the Banque de France in Paris, where he was welcomed by members of its Board, Ms. Emmanuelle Assouan – the Director General for Financial Stability and Operations, Mr. Laurent Clerc – the Deputy Director General for International Economic Affairs, as well as Mr. Elie Lewi – Director of Markets. In this meeting, the Governor was accompanied by the Ambassador of the Republic of Kosovo to France, Mr. Mehdi Halimi.

During the meeting, Governor Ismaili briefed the senior leadership of the Banque de France on the latest developments in Kosovo’s financial sector, including the CBK’s key projects aimed at strengthening financial stability, reforming banking supervision, modernizing the payment infrastructure, enhancing consumer protection, and addressing environmental and climate-related risks. He also presented progress on the pre-application process for SEPA membership, as well as recent developments in the fast payment system project in cooperation with the Bank of Italy.

As part of the visit, an Agreement was signed between the Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo and the Banque de France for the provision of Reserves management services. This agreement follows preliminary engagements between the two institutions during the 2024 IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings in Washington, D.C., and the successful completion of preparatory procedures in line with the CBK’s strategic objectives to diversify its investments.

Both parties expressed their willingness to further strengthen cooperation in other areas of mutual interest, including financial stability, financial supervision, and capacity building through experience-sharing programs and participation in international networks.

Governor Ismaili thanked the Banque de France for the warm reception and expressed his appreciation for the continued support provided in strengthening the CBK’s institutional capacities, reaffirming his commitment to deepening this important cooperation.