The dinar case: Austrian ambassador heads to BEC, meets with governor, details revealed by meeting

Kosovo Central Bank Governor Ahmet Ismaili has hosted Assutria Ambassador Georg Schnetzer at the meeting today.

The BQK reported that Ismaili has explained “to Austrian Ambassador “the main aspects, effects and arguments for its “position, concerning the new regulation that excludes the Serbian dinar from use in the country.

“Ambassador Schnetzer was also informed about the Pre-determible Operations Order, clarifying key aspects, effects and arguments for its position. It was clarified that overhauling advanced the integrity of the financial system and providing the Republic of Kosovo with EU standards, as well as that does not prohibit or limit access to bank accounts at Euro, does not limit the exchangeal activity carried out by banking or non-bank financial institutions licensed by BQ”, the BQC communiqué says.

Schnetzer, as the CEC says, “was also announced for the plan to implement this regulation in practice”.

“In this regard, the Austrian ambassador was also notified of the BEC's Plan to implement this regulation in practice, as well as actions to ease its effects, along with the CEC's constructive commitment to facilitating vehicle transfer under the proposed model and readiness to discuss possible legal options”, it is said in communique.

“At the end of the meeting was stressed that the CEC is actively continuing with information and sensationalisation activities, including the release of a free line dedicated to our citizens and other information materials, inviting those who still have no account to open one to each bank, which for vulnerable groups has no opening or maintenance fee, from January 1st to 2024 with the BCC Code for Access to Base Services Account”, is said away in the BQ municipality.

According to the Central Bank, the stoner and Austrian ambassador spoke of the “institutions for the advancement of the financial system, including the project to modernise the payment system and target for membership in the European Union's 1st Euro payment zone, known as SEPA”.

The meeting also discussed “for the support the Austrian state is giving to the Republic of Kosovo in its integration processes, including these aspects regarding the Green Carton System, the ISO Code related to the world's payment platforms and other processes of particular importance for our country”, but also for the <x2-> interactions taken on counterfeit money, such as getting other plans for empowering the integrity of the financial system, with the best international practices”

The BQK says the governor “thanked Ambassador Schnetzer for the continued support of his government and the Austrian people for Kosovo institutions and people”.

Georg Schnetzer is only the next ambassador to meet with BQC Governor Ahmet Ismaili. French Ambassador Oliver Guerot and US Ambassador Jeffrey Hovenier had been ahead of him, who demanded the delay in implementing the new CEC regulation.

Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislim recently said not directly that international diplomats are interfering with the country's independent institutions. When one of the international representatives requires co-ordination by an independent institution, Bislimi said it means intervention.

The automatism co-ordination is intervention in the work of an independent institution”, he said in a recent interview.

I think it's wrong whenever someone, whether he's local or international, meets with independent institutions to discuss specific topics and give their opinion. If an international representative of an international institution meets with the Central Bank and says we recommend that you postpone the implementation of this decision, it means that we show you what the decision should look like, therefore we find that you are not and should not be independent in making decisions”, he added.

The deputy prime minister said this “is wrong, especially when the independence of these institutions is built with millions of investments in the countries of which these individuals come from”.

US Ambassador Jeffrey Havenier has said Thursday that the Kosovo government's disobedience to postpone implementation of the new regulation has already affected the reports between the two countries.