Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo Governor Ismaili presents Kosovo and Western Balkans outlook at IMF Europe regional forum

The Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo reported that Governor Ahmet Ismaili participated as an official speaker in the IMF’s closed Regional Economic Outlook for Europe forum, a meeting attended by central bank governors and finance ministers from 22 European countries. Discussions centred on the IMF’s latest Regional Economic Outlook report for Europe, including policy challenges and recommendations aimed at supporting sustainable growth, macrofinancial stability and fiscal sustainability, with particular focus on Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe. In his intervention, Ismaili commented on the report’s findings and set out his assessment of macroeconomic developments, financial stability and sustainable growth prospects for Europe, with emphasis on the Western Balkans. He highlighted reforms and achievements in Kosovo’s financial sector and broader economy, pointed to coordination between fiscal and macroprudential policies as supporting growth, financial stability and fiscal consolidation, and linked these developments to Kosovo’s first sovereign credit rating and IMF mission assessments. He also noted that IMF projections place Kosovo as having the highest growth rate in the Western Balkans while stressing that uncertainties and risks remain, and referenced European Union support to the region through the Growth Plan, inclusion in the SEPA process and investments in payment system infrastructure.