In a video message, Yzeiraj said all economic and political objectives, whether short- or long-term, depended on a fundamental foundation: macroeconomic stability.

“Any technical or political goal, whether short-term or long-term, rests on a single, invisible but essential foundation: the country’s macroeconomic stability,” he said.

Key economic indicators for the first half of the year showed continued stability and sustained confidence in Albania from international markets, Yzeiraj said.

“Economic growth has continued steadily and in line with our objectives,” he said, adding that inflation remained low and under control.

“Inflation remains low and, compared with all countries in the region, under control, protecting purchasing power and creating predictability for the market,” Yzeiraj said.

He also highlighted the cost of public debt, which he said had declined to levels comparable with or lower than those of regional countries.

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Zaçaj attended the July 6-7 meeting, which brought together central bank governors, finance ministers and senior officials from member countries to discuss the global economic outlook, inflation, economic growth, financial stability and the impact of artificial intelligence on the economy and labour markets.

She said Albania’s economic growth remained solid, while inflation continued to fluctuate close to the Bank of Albania’s target.

Zaçaj highlighted the central bank’s role in safeguarding price and financial stability through a prudent monetary policy, adding that Albania’s banking sector remained well capitalised, maintained ample liquidity and continued to record historically low levels of non-performing loans.

Structural reforms and Albania’s European integration process also featured prominently in the discussions. Zaçaj stressed the importance of operationalising SEPA transfers as a step towards deeper financial integration with the European Union.

On artificial intelligence, she said the technology offers opportunities to improve efficiency, strengthen data analysis and enhance supervisory processes. She added that the Bank of Albania is working to establish an internal framework for the responsible and secure use of AI in line with European Union standards.

The meeting concluded with participants reaffirming the importance of international cooperation and coordinated economic policies to address global challenges and support sustainable economic growth.

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The bank said conflict in the Middle East, higher energy prices and trade disruptions could slow growth, underscoring the need for structural reforms.

“Albania’s economy continues to show resilience, but sustaining this momentum requires bold structural reforms,” said Massimiliano Paolucci, the bank’s country manager, at the presentation of its Western Balkans Regular Economic Report.

Growth is projected to edge up to 3.7% in 2027, the bank said.

The report noted declining unemployment and public debt, alongside low inflation, while highlighting labour shortages and high emigration as key challenges.

Economic expansion has been supported by services and construction, particularly tourism, while the current account balance has improved on the back of strong service exports, it added.

However, regional growth in the Western Balkans is expected to remain subdued due to spillover effects from Middle East tensions, inflation and rising uncertainty.

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Speaking on his podcast “Flasim”, Rama said the 3.75% growth rate confirmed the economy’s positive performance and reflected “a sustainable and balanced expansion” supported by consumption, services, construction and investment.

“Once again this week, the noise of the 700 political-media cauldrons, boiling under high pressure with information obtained in violation of the law from custodians of investigative files, left no room at all for good news – even though this was also the Christmas week,” Rama said.

He noted that tourism was the leading contributor to growth in the third quarter of 2025.

“Revenue from travel services reached nearly 2.3 billion euros in this quarter alone, pushing the services trade surplus to around 1.9 billion euros, with year-on-year growth of 27%,” Rama said.

“To make this tangible for everyone, I stress that this strong performance in services has made a direct contribution to gross national product growth and to the improvement of the balance of payments.”

Rama added that investor confidence remained strong during the same period.

“Foreign direct investment reached around 450 million euros, up 10% year on year, concentrated mainly in strategic sectors such as tourism, real estate, finance and energy,” he said.

The Premier also said the third-quarter growth was accompanied by improvements in the labour market.

“The unemployment rate remained at 8.1%, but employment rose to 69.6% and labour force participation reached 76.5%,” Rama said.

“At the same time – again to make this concrete – the average gross wage in Albania increased from 776 euros to 830 euros, reflecting higher labour income and a further improvement in the economic situation of households.”

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Speaking at the “Albania, A New Frontier” investment conference in Vienna, attended by business representatives from over 25 countries, Rama characterized Russia as an aggressive actor with a destabilizing agenda, while describing China as a commercial power with no ambition to export its model of governance.

“I wouldn’t place them in the same category,” Rama said. “Russia is aggressive, with an agenda to create disorder. China is a different kind of player – it seeks to do business and extend its reach globally, but without trying to universalize its way of life.”

The government head stressed that China is not viewed as a threat by Albania. However, when it comes to critical infrastructure – whether related to military, energy, or telecommunications – Rama said the government remains firmly aligned with its Western partners.

“We made our decision long ago and will not change it – we will continue standing with our Western allies,” he said.

Rama reiterated that Albania maintains an open stance toward economic engagement with China, but has entirely excluded Russian capital.

“We are open to cooperation with China. As for Russia, we don’t miss it. There’s no Russian money in our economy,” Rama said.

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Sejko highlighted tourism as a key economic driver and noted that increased use of digital payments in this sector will help formalize the economy and reduce cash usage.

He praised Albania’s strong economic performance over the past five years, emphasizing monetary and financial stability that helped mitigate pandemic impacts and rising prices following the Ukraine war.

Recent credit rating upgrades by Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s have increased investor confidence and lowered financing costs. Foreign direct investment has doubled in the last decade, reaching 15 billion euros, or about 60% of GDP.

Sejko urged ambassadors to promote Albania’s investment potential, citing the country’s resources, location, and EU integration prospects as key advantages.

He concluded that the Bank of Albania remains committed to modernizing the economy and strengthening financial infrastructure to position Albania as a competitive partner in European markets.

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Central bank governor noted that official data show that the main drivers of growth were domestic consumption, private business investments, and revenue from an exceptionally strong tourism season.

“The increase in private sector consumption and investment reflects the healthy balance sheets of businesses and households, their confidence in the future, as well as the country’s favorable financial conditions. This demand profile continues to fuel mainly the expansion of the services and construction sectors, while the industry and agriculture sectors have a slower performance,” Sejko noted.

Governor Sejko underlined that the relatively high demand for goods and services continues to keep the economy in a positive phase of the business cycle.

He also underlined that the labor market figures are encouraging. Unemployment has declined, and wages have risen significantly, contributing to greater household welfare and consumption capacity.

“Volume of economic activities has recorded positive trend, whereas inflation remains at a low rate. Lending to the private sector has increased and the national economy keeps growing at a solid rate. The inflation rate is expected to return the central bank’s target in the medium-term horizon,” Sejko said.

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The WB Country Manager for Albania, Emanuel Salinas, said in his remarks at a business event in Tirana on Wednesday that Albanian economy should focus on exports and the use of natural resources as potential sectors for further development of the country.

Attending a business meeting, the WB official noted that construction sector and consumption account for the largest share of the country’s GDP.

“For Albania to move from middle-income to a higher-income economy per capita a transformation should take place. The country should move from the low wages and low productivity to higher productivity and exports with focus being attached to exploitation of the natural resources to boost investment and productivity,” he said.

Salinas underlined that WB and the Albanian government are working to enhance education quality in the country’s vocational schools and universities.

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