The Bank of Albania reported that Governor Gent Sejko participated in the FT Live Central and Eastern European Forum in Vienna, speaking on a panel of regional central bank governors and focusing on managing supply-side shocks through a return to monetary policy fundamentals, the role of monetary policy in supporting green financing, and the Bank’s approach to central bank digital currencies. He said the Bank of Albania addressed the inflationary shocks of 2022 and 2023 with a low cost to economic growth and financial stability, with its stance helping to anchor inflation expectations alongside supportive tourism-sector developments. On green financing, he pointed to work to integrate climate- and environmental-related risks into the supervisory framework in line with the European integration process while maintaining price stability as the primary objective. On digital currency, he described a prudent, well-analysed approach assessing costs, benefits and preconditions for implementation; in discussion he also stressed the importance of domestic factors in shaping monetary policy and safeguarding central bank independence. In a dedicated Albania session, he highlighted foreign direct investment as a driver of growth and described the banking and financial system as sound, stable and well capitalised, while pointing to ongoing efforts to align the legal framework and supervisory practices with European standards, including International Financial Reporting Standards and European Union prudential requirements. During the Vienna visit, Sejko met senior European Bank for Reconstruction and Development executives, highlighting the EBRD’s investment and technical assistance in Albania and underlining the need for international support to develop Albanian capital markets. He also met Financial Times representatives to discuss priorities and Albania’s opportunities and challenges, with FT Live indicating plans to place greater emphasis on the region and specific markets during 2026.

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