ideas and conclusions in relation to the further recovery of the economic activity. the support of the bank of albania will be unconditional in this regard. as in the past, we will be constantly in search to adopt strategies and rules that aim at having a financially sound banking sector capable of supporting economic development in albania. i am fully confident that the future cooperation among all the stakeholders : the banking industry, the government and the banking will be strengthened, for the economic and financial prosperity of the country. i thank you for your attention and i wish the conference all success! 3 / 3 bis central bankers'speeches

ardian fullani : from coins to e - money – albanian national currency exhibition speech by mr ardian fullani, governor of the bank of albania, at the opening of the exhibition marking the 85th anniversary of the national currency, national historical museum, tirana, 31 march 2011. * * * it is my pleasure to open the proceedings of the activities that the bank of albania has organized to commemorate the 85th anniversary of the national currency issue. when we decided to open today ’ s exhibition, i was personally attracted by another dimension : the history of the albanian monetary system development. the first albanian coins found date back to the 2nd century b. c. all these bronze coins feature on one side the portrait of king gent, the last ruler of illyria. as in all other countries of the ancient mediterranean, in illyria, this powerful man set an unbreakable link between money and the state, not only to promote economic activity at home, but also gain its benefits. today ’ s activity aims to capture and convey to the visitors the artistic and numismatic values, and the historical development of our national currency. while viewing the evolution of nominal values, we are able to create a vision of : the performance of the national economy over the course of years ; the purchasing power of money ; and the history of the albanian people through the portrayed entities and the depicted themes ; the cultural and social sensations through artistic elements of design. a country ’ s monetary and financial system does not only put across the sovereignty of the state economic policies, but it also enables the country ’ s economic and social development. the issue of the national currency in the form of banknotes and coins undoubtedly plays a unique role in this regard. historically, money was born as a response to the social needs for economic development and progress. its three functions as a medium of exchange, store of value and unit of account, allow for greater economic sophistication. these three roles were soon grasped by the ancient rulers, who were the first issuers of money in its classical forms. by acknowledging the role and power of money, these princes, kings and emperors sealed them with their portraits as a final expression of political and economic power. this is very well described by mayer rothschild, the founder of the famous rothschild dynasty, when he quotes : “... give me control of a nation ’ s money and i care not who makes the laws... ” indeed, even a surreal world as that of the