The Central Bank of Montenegro opened the XII Regional Summit of central bank governors, finance ministers and tax administration directors in Bečići, using the forum to push for closer regional coordination on shared systemic challenges and to frame SEPA integration as a key lever for Western Balkans convergence with the European Union. Governor Irena Radović argued that issues such as energy security, anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing, climate and digital risks, and interoperable payment systems require coordinated responses and stronger operational links between institutions. European Commission Director-General for Enlargement and the Eastern Neighbourhood Gert Jan Koopman highlighted SEPA as a flagship initiative under the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, pointing to expected savings and wider benefits including reduced costs and risks for business, stronger investment incentives and suppression of the grey economy, and he signalled further cooperation with the Central Bank of Montenegro to accelerate implementation. In summit panels covering SEPA and the Western Balkans Six and, separately, geopolitical fragmentation and tariff pressures, the discussions linked payments integration and digital interoperability with financial infrastructure modernisation, while also flagging inflation and monetary policy challenges for small open economies and the need for greater transparency and fiscal sustainability. The summit runs until 14 June 2025.

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