. in order to have a responsible approach in this regard, the bank of albania has approved the strategy on financial education and inclusion ( boasfei ). this document, as compiled in compliance with the best international practices, makes official the efforts of the bank of albania in promoting financial education as a public good for everyone, for bolstering financial inclusion, consumer protection and increasing financial welfare of individuals as well as the stability of entire financial system. we are pleased to share this objective with various public and private institutions and organisations engaged in the area of finance, education and development, which focus their work on the enhancement of financial literacy. the common work may transform the bank of albania strategy on financial inclusion and education into a national one, which would coordinate at a national level the initiatives of all stakeholders, driving to more tangible results. i am optimistic that we will reach this objective sooner rather 2 / 3 bis - central bankers'speeches than later. the activity today is part of this strategy'the action plan, allowing these important collaborators to present and display their work and projects and coordinate their visions and objectives. as we work together for accomplishing these common objectives, a special thank is addressed to public institutions that adopt policies which promote financial education and inclusion ; financial institutions that develop and provide all - inclusive financial products and services ; educational institutions which integrate financial education in their curricula and programs ; non - government organisation that work in the field to educate and empower their communities ; as well as the information technology companies and fintech innovators who work to digitally transform the financial sector. before concluding, i would like to express my gratitude to the world bank, seco and the swiss embassy in tirana, and absolutely the albanian government, as they are important partners in the process of drafting and implementing these challenging projects. together, we could build an inclusive society in a financial manner, where each individual can develop and realise its own potential. thank you! 3 / 3 bis - central bankers'speeches

gent sejko : albania's path to sepa integration, financial inclusion and education address by mr gent sejko, governor of the bank of albania, at the bank of albania and world bank workshop " albania's path to sepa integration, financial inclusion and eduction ", tirana, 14 june2024. * * * dear ladies and gentlemen, i am delighted to warmly welcome you in this workshop, focusing on two important topics : submission of application for integration in the single euro payments area ( sepa ), and the importance of financial inclusion and education, as crucial issues for the development of albania. these topics might, at first glance, seem unrelated to each other, but they share a single objective : improving the well - being and financial stability of albanian families and businesses. if handled with responsibility, both of them might contribute to the financial and macroeconomic stability of albania. more than ever, the economic growth and economic stability depend on the financial empowerment of all our citizens. due to the rapid developments in the field of : finance, artificial intelligence, digitalisation ; as well as in economy and money, our commitment towards these objectives has become purposefully. allow me first to list some of the most important developments taking place in payment systems. the bank of albania, in the past year, has considerably intensified the efforts for accelerated membership of albania in the single euro payments area - sepa. these efforts have been materialised in touchable measures and quite optimistic. two days ago, the bank of albania officially submitted the application to the european payments council for albania's membership in sepa, ranking the first country in the region to successfully complete this important phase of integration into the euro payments area. it is important to highlight that the drafting of the application has been a laborious task led by the bank of albania, but thanks to our preparatory work and cooperation with other several public institutions, this project is being carried out successfully. the accelerated membership in sepa is one of the measures laid out in the project " payment systems modernization in the western balkans ", which has become a national priority in the framework of fulfilling the new growth plan for the western balkans of the european union. it has the support of the european commission, the regional cooperation council and the world bank. membership in sepa brings multidimensional benefits to albania in the framework of the integration process in the european union, also as regards the albanian economy and the domestic payment market. simplification