The Eurogroup congratulated Bulgaria on the successful introduction of the euro. The statement was made by its chairman Kyriakos Pierakakis after the first meeting of the eurozone finance ministers for the year.
At a press conference in Brussels, he noted that he had received a set of Bulgarian euro coins from the outgoing Minister of Finance Temenuzhka Petkova, "Nova TV" indicated.
European Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis added that the transition to the euro marks a historic moment for Bulgaria, the European Union and the eurozone – and emphasized the smooth running of the process, thanks to the technical preparation and information campaign in our country.
The Eurogroup is the group of finance ministers of the Eurozone countries, meeting in a monthly informal meeting to coordinate their economic policy.
"We began our discussions with an analysis by Minister Petkova of her country's transition to the euro. Bulgarians have been using the currency as legal tender since January 1. The Eurogroup congratulates the Bulgarian authorities on the smooth transition. The euro is at the heart of our European project as a pillar of economic stability and prosperity, uniting 21 countries that use the common currency," noted Kyriakos Pierakakis.