*  *  *  Introduction It is a true honor and pleasure to be invited to the Nikkei Islamic Finance Symposium, and to have the opportunity to share my thoughts about Islamic finance along with Governor Zeti of Bank Negara Malaysia and distinguished guests. The Bank of Japan joined the Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB) as an observer last year.
Most importantly, our definition of price stability has contributed to anchoring inflation expectations in the euro area, thereby reducing risk premia and ultimately supporting an efficient allocation of resources and favourable long-term financing conditions for the economy. For all these reasons, the maintenance of price stability over the medium term is the best contribution of monetary policy to sustainable growth and employment creation.