fehmi mehmeti : bank lending is continuing to contribute to economic growth speech by mr fehmi mehmeti, governor of the central bank of the republic of kosovo, at a press conference, 25 november 2021. * * * dear..., it is a special pleasure to be part of this ceremony that marks another step of the very important contribution that kfw has continuously given to the development of the kosovo credit guarantee fund and in general to the economic development of kosovo. the kosovo credit guarantee fund within a relatively short period of time has managed to become a very important institution for increasing and facilitating financing for the country ’ s economy. the important role of this institution has emerged especially during the period of pandemic crisis, in which case this institution has served as a very effective mechanism of transmission and multiplication of state aid for the private sector of the country. the grant that is being donated by kfw will enable the further increase of the guarantee potential of this institution, making possible the increase of the number of beneficiaries from the guarantees issued by this institution. in other words, a larger number of individuals or businesses with difficulty accessing credit financing will be able to secure access to this source of financing on favorable terms. bank lending continues to be a very important and sustainable source of private sector financing in kosovo. the value of bank loans by september 2021 has reached 3. 57 billion euros, marking a significant annual increase of 12. 2 %. however, despite the satisfactory trend of increasing bank lending, it is considered that the level of financial intermediation in kosovo continues to be below the average of the countries in the region, which shows that, in relation to the size of the economy, there is further room for expansion of the lending activity. an important role in filling this space has exactly the kosovo credit guarantee fund, which through its guarantee mechanism can enable the increase of lending and the facilitation of the conditions of access to credit for the sectors which without this service may find it difficult or even impossible to provide access to credit financing. in this context, we expect that in addition to supporting the growth of credit financing in general, the kcgf portfolio, more and more to reflect the increase of credit support for sectors with greater difficulties in accessing credit financing, but which have the potential to make a significant contribution to the economic development of the country. in the end, allow me to once again express my highest appreciation to kfw, which has consistently

ahmet ismaili : opening speech – " sustainable finance forum " opening speech by mr ahmet ismaili, governor of the central bank of the republic of kosovo, at the sustainable finance forum, pristina, 5 october 2023. * * * dear, ms. zhang and mr. marquier, ifc representatives dear, mr. fuchs from swiss embassy dear, mr. balija from kba dear, eu ambassador szunyog board members of the central bank of the republic of kosovo government representatives representatives of the central banks, and saving associations donor, partners, and financial institutions dear, colleagues ladies and gentlemen it is my pleasure to open this forum and welcome you all to the first sustainable finance forum, co - organized by the central bank of the republic of kosovo, the kosovo banking association, international finance corporation and sustainable banking and finance network, in partnership with seco. sustainable finance is the new concept which has emerged from the environmental and climate changes, with associated risks and opportunities to the economies. following the adoption of the paris agreement on climate change and the un 2030 agenda for sustainable development in 2015, governments all over the world are making strides to transition to low - carbon and more circular economies on a global scale. republic of kosovo's environmental commitments are aligned with the eu strategy, and is was one of the six western balkan countries that signed the sofia declaration ( november 2020 ), where the countries acknowledged the european green deal, as a cornerstone for the green agenda for the western balkans ( gawb ). the energy strategy of the republic of kosovo 2022 - 2031, adopted by the parliament of the republic of kosovo, is led by a vision of : a sustainable energy sector integrated into the pan - european market, ensuring energy security and affordability for citizens. also, the strategy foresees by 2025 to complete all preparations for implementing a carbon pricing system and committed to achieve net - zero emissions by 2050. 1 / 3 bis - central bankers'speeches the republic of kosovo has adopted the program with imf " resilience and sustainability facility " ( rsf ) of sdr61. 95 million, to support climate change mitigation and adaptation actions, exploit synergies with other official support and help catalyze private investment in green energy. moving to a low - carbon or green economy would need extraordinary levels of fresh capital investment, notably in the form of green financing, to support activities that cut ghg emissions and