The first day’s sessions featured a series of insightful presentations on reserves management. Angelique Gastaud from Banque de France presented an overview of recent trends in reserves management and central banks’ gold buying trends. This was followed by a presentation from Ingy ElTawdy and Amina Amr Sherif from the Central Bank of Egypt, who outlined Egypt’s reserves management strategy, focusing on its Strategic Asset Allocation framework and responses to external shocks. The sessions concluded with Monika Žnidar from the European Central Bank, who provided a comprehensive overview of the ECB’s reserve management frameworks and practices.
The second day’s sessions continued with a focus on investment strategies and sustainable finance. Bünyamin Erkan from Banque de France, presented the Banque de France’s Strategic Asset Allocation methodology and Sustainable Investment Strategy. This was followed by an overview of market trends for 2025 and outlooks for 2026, delivered by Caroline Bienvenu, also from Banque de France. It was followed by Youssef Mourad from the Central Bank of Egypt who outlined the Portfolio Management process and led a case study on Egypt. Pieter-Jan Geysen from the National Bank of Belgium discussed the integration of Sustainable and Responsible Investing principles within the investment process. The sessions concluded with Branislav Frkan from the National Bank of Slovakia, who shared the bank’s investment strategy journey and its approach to building a fully hedged, high-quality, buy-and-maintain portfolio within central bank reserves.
The third day’s sessions focused on fixed income strategies and risk management in central bank operations. Bünyamin Erkan from Banque de France led an interactive workshop for portfolio managers on Fixed Income strategies. This was followed by a presentation from Serge Longueville of the National Bank of Belgium, who discussed Strategic Asset Allocation and the operational aspects of financial risk management in central bank reserves. Salima Bennys and Phillippe Talon from Banque de France provided an overview of market activities, while Lien Bockstael from the National Bank of Belgium concluded the day with a presentation on operational and settlement risks.
Senior representatives and experts from African central banks — including the Central Bank of Egypt, Bank Al-Maghrib, Banco de Moçambique, the South African Reserve Bank, the Central Bank of Tunisia, the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), and the Bank of Central African States (BEAC) — offered valuable perspectives by sharing their experiences in reserve management and investment practices. Their contributions greatly enriched the discussions and helped transform the event into a dynamic platform for high-level professional exchange.
This EU-funded partnership between African and European central banks demonstrates significant value. With reserve management standing as a global priority, the sharing of expertise and experiences through this initiative comes at a particularly relevant and impactful moment.
