The International Monetary Fund will establish a new Regional Capacity Development Center in Rome, marking a significant step in strengthening economic governance across Southeast Europe. The centre, named the Southeast Europe Technical Assistance Center (SEETAC), is expected to begin operations in January 2027.
Designed to support countries on their path toward European Union membership, SEETAC will work closely with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo*, and Moldova. Its focus will be practical: helping governments improve how they manage public finances, shape monetary policy, and build more resilient economic systems.
The initiative reflects a shift from broad policy guidance to hands-on institutional strengthening—something the region increasingly needs as reforms move from strategy to execution.
“I am very pleased to announce creation of SEETAC, which will help meet the substantial capacity development needs of IMF member countries in Southeast Europe,” said IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva. She added that the centre will support macroeconomic stability, stronger growth prospects, and faster progress toward EU accession.
SEETAC will become part of the IMF’s global network of 17 regional development centres, delivering targeted technical assistance in fiscal policy, financial sector oversight, economic forecasting, statistics, and legal frameworks. It will also complement existing training programmes provided through the IMF’s Joint Vienna Institute.
For Southeast Europe, the message is clear: the next phase of integration will be defined less by commitments—and more by capability.
