Governor Radović at the jubilee Bled Strategic Forum: Integration into the European payment system confirms Montenegro’s readiness for the EU single market
02/09/2025
The CBCG Governor, Irena Radović, participated in the 20th anniversary Bled Strategic Forum, at the invitation of the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia and the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon and acting Governor of the Bank of Slovenia, Primož Dolenc.
As part of the Forum, Governor Radović, together with the governors of the central banks of Slovenia and Estonia and high representatives of European institutions, spoke on the panel entitled “Shaping Europe’s Economic Resilience: Strategic Responses, Integration of Payment Systems, and the Digital Euro”.
In her presentation, Governor Radović emphasized that Montenegro is a leader in the process of European integration in the Western Balkans, with the clear goal of becoming a member of the European Union by 2028. In this context, she pointed out that the reforms in the payment system, especially the accession to the SEPA system and the connection with the TIPS infrastructure, are concrete evidence of Montenegro’s readiness for full participation in the EU single market.
“Joining the SEPA system brings significant benefits for citizens and the economy - cost reduction, faster and safer transactions, and greater connectivity with the European market. It is also an important step towards deeper economic and financial convergence with the European Union,” said Governor Radović.
In the part of the discussion on the digital euro, the Governor recalled the activities of the CBCG in the area of digitization and pointed out that the inclusion of candidates for EU membership in the early phase of the project would contribute to financial stability and strengthening the Europe’s strategic autonomy.
“The digital euro, together with SEPA and instant payments, will shape the future landscape of European finances. For the candidate countries, it is not only a question of technical integration, but also of strategic alignment with European values and rules,” highlighted Radović.
During her visit to Slovenia, Governor Radović had several meetings at the Central Bank of Slovenia, including meetings with her colleague Dolenc, members of the Governing Board and management of the Bank of Slovenia. The topics of the meetings included the exchange of experience concerning payment transactions, cash management and the development of the national framework for the resolution of banks. They focused on the transmission and application of the best European standards and practices in the regulation and supervision of the banking sector, while considering the possibility for the Bank of Slovenia to provide technical and expert support to the CBCG in key projects of integration into the European financial area and the European System of Central Banks (ESCB).
Governor Radović’s participation in discussions at the Bled Strategic Forum confirms the role of the CBCG as a bridge between national reforms and European priorities - from strengthening stability and trust to contributing to the convergence and joint resilience of the European financial space.