Every meeting with the International Monetary Fund mission!
On 4 November 2025, the Governor of the Bank of Albania, Gent Sejko, held a meeting with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission, led by Anke Weber, Chief of Mission for Albania. The purpose of the Mission's visit to Albania was to conduct periodic dialogue with the Albanian authorities on economic, monetary and financial developments, as well as appropriate policies to promote sustainable economic development and maintain the country's monetary and financial stability.
The discussions focused on the latest economic and financial developments in the country, and their future prospects; the monetary policy pursued by the Bank of Albania; as well as the measures taken to preserve and strengthen the health of the banking sector and the country's financial stability.
Initially, the Governor acquainted the interlocutors with the latest developments in the domestic economy. The Albanian economy has shown high resilience in the face of global challenges, maintaining stable growth rates and macroeconomic stability. The country has recorded economic growth, low and stable inflation, as well as a sound financial system. These achievements have also been reflected in the improvement of ratings by the international agencies Moody's and S&P.
In the first half of 2025, the economy grew by 3.6%, supported mainly by domestic demand and tourism. Unemployment fell to a historic low of 8.5%, while real wages grew at a high pace. Inflation is gradually approaching the 3% target, while the monetary policy pursued by the Bank of Albania has remained accommodative in support of this process, creating appropriate monetary conditions for meeting the price stability objective.
Focusing on the performance of the banking sector, the Governor stated that it remains stable, liquid and well-capitalized, while lending to the private sector has continued to grow at a strong pace. In the fiscal plan, the consolidation policy has placed public debt on a downward trajectory, strengthening fiscal sustainability.
In the medium term, expectations remain positive. Economic growth is projected to be stable, while inflation is expected to stabilize near the target in 6M2026. The Bank of Albania will continue to pursue a prudent and evidence-based monetary policy, with a primary focus on maintaining price stability and strengthening economic sustainability.
For their part, the representatives of the International Monetary Fund expressed their support for the monetary policy pursued by the Bank of Albania and its important contribution to monetary and financial stability. The accommodative policy has supported lending and economic activity, without generating inflationary pressures.
They positively assessed the initiatives taken by the Bank of Albania in terms of maintaining macroeconomic stability, controlling inflation and the cautious monetary response to the strengthening of the exchange rate. For the IMF representatives, high foreign exchange flows, influenced by the increase in income from tourism and foreign direct investments, are also the main causes that influenced the strengthening of the Lek and the weakening of currencies. They also emphasized the important role that the free exchange rate has in maintaining the economic, monetary and financial stability of the country, stating that the free exchange rate regime is the right solution for Albania.
Representatives of the International Monetary Fund stated that the country's membership in the SEPA system, in operation from October 2025, is expected to further strengthen financial integration with the European Union and promote and formalize cross-border transactions.
At the end of the meeting, the participants confirmed the very good cooperative relations between the Bank of Albania and the International Monetary Fund, in the framework of IMF missions, technical assistance and beyond. They also assessed the importance that the implementation of a Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP) will have for the country, work on which will begin next year.
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