Deputy Governor Fusha represents CBK as a panelist in the Global Payments Week 2025 of the World Bank

Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo (CBK), Mr. Dardan Fusha, participated as a panelist in the Global Payments Week 2025, co-organized by the World Bank and the Central Bank of Brazil. The event gathered over 160 participants from more than 70 countries, including senior central bank officials, global financial institutions, and private sector leaders.

High-level panel titled “Building Bridges through a Regional Approach to Advance the Global Agenda on Cross-Border Payments” was moderated by Mr. Massimo Cirasino, Senior Advisor in the Payment System Development Group at the World Bank, renowned for his extensive experience in the design and implementation of global payment system reforms and financial infrastructure development.

The session focused on how regional collaboration supports the global efforts to improve cross-border payments in line with the G20 Roadmap. Deputy Governor Fusha presented progress under two key regional initiatives: the EU Supported Modernization of Payment Systems Project and the SECO Funded Remittances and Payments Program, both implemented with World Bank support.

In his remarks, Mr. Fusha emphasized the region’s growing alignment with the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), including Kosovo’s ongoing membership process and its benefits in reducing costs, financial inclusion, and facilitating trade. He highlighted the TIPS Clone initiative, developed by the Bank of Italy with ECB approval, aimed at delivering EU-standard instant payments across the region.

He stressed the importance of regional coordination in tackling remaining challenges, such as high cross border fees, the need for interoperable overlay services, and access to EU payment infrastructures. Kosovo’s potential annual savings from SEPA membership are estimated at over €55 million, and shared regional infrastructure like TIPS Clone can accelerate the creation of an efficient inclusive digital system.

The discussions also addressed broader innovations in payments, including cross-border instant payments linkages, the use of AI to enhance security and combat fraud, and developments in blockchain technology, stable coins and asset tokenization, along with other advances in transaction security and digital services. The session concluded by highlighting the need to avoid system fragmentation, prioritize end user needs, and foster stronger public-private collaboration to scale sustainability innovations.

The Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo remains committed to modernize payments, aligning with EU standards, and deepening regional integration to support faster, cheaper, more transparent, and more inclusive cross-border payments.