6/6  BIS central bankers' speeches
In 200 and 500 Lekë banknotes, the portraits of Naim Frashëri and Ismail Qemali have been notably improved. 1/2  BIS central bankers' speeches  The designs on both the obverse and the reverse of the banknotes have been reconfigured and enriched with new or improved security features. The dominant colours have been preserved, but they have been given a fresh look, with more vivid and balanced colours for the eye. The design composition of each banknote is in harmony with the rest of the series. The overarching goal was to create a series of banknotes that are modern and easy to use, still in balance with tradition. The personalisation, versus unification, of some of the security features for each denomination is a new approach. The reduced dimensions make the banknotes more user friendly. Special attention has been paid to features for the visually-impaired. The nominal value on each side of the banknote is easier to read, the dimension of each denomination are different, and the raised print that may be felt on the edges of banknotes has been kept to help identify different banknotes. For the first time in Albania, the new series introduces polymer banknotes. This plastic material, which is more durable than cotton paper, was selected to be used for the 200 Lekë banknote, taking into account the higher frequency of changing hands and a lower paper quality evidenced in this denomination over the years.