The cooperation programme will be implemented with the support of experts from 11 central banks in the EU, with the ECB being the overall coordinator. Only two years ago, the Bank of Albania successfully concluded a twinning project with two of them: Banca d’Italia and Banque de France. During the six-months of the project implementation period, central banks of the Eurosystem will provide expertise through training, conferences, seminars, study visits and support to strengthen administrative capacities, and regular technical missions. This form of cooperation will aim at fostering the existing relations and building a broader network of cooperation between the Bank of Albania, central banks of the region and the Eurosystem. The Project is funded by the European Commission, in the framework of support policies for the central banks of the Western Balkans, to promote macroeconomic and financial stability in the region. This form of technical assistance has been particularly successful in the past, creating strong institutional ties between the central banks of the Eurosystem and those of our region. The twinning is based on a detailed plan of action for achieving a series of concrete and measurable objectives. This means that upon conclusion of the project, having benefited from the technical assistance, the Bank of Albania will be able to discharge its institutional duties and responsibilities in the relevant fields more effectively and more efficiently. I believe the main factor of success for such technical cooperation programmes is closely related to having clear goals and objectives, set jointly with our European partners.
In my view, regional cooperation can and should serve as a forerunner to European integration. Lastly, my special thanks and highest appreciation for Mr. Mersch for the fruitful cooperation between our institutions during his mandate as the Governor of the central bank of Luxembourg, and now as an Executive Board member of the European Central Bank and, above all, as a friend of ours. Thank you for your attention! BIS central bankers’ speeches  3