The Governor of the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) Dimitar Radev held a meeting with the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva, who is visiting Bulgaria. This was announced by the BNB on its website.
The main topic of the talks was Bulgaria's progress on the path to joining the eurozone and introducing the euro as its official currency.
"De facto Bulgaria has been in the eurozone since the introduction of the currency board in 1997. Now, with the adoption of the euro as the national currency, this will also become de jure", said Kristalina Georgieva.
She emphasized that the experience of other countries shows that the effect on prices is minimal, and the benefits for the economy, investments and incomes are significant.
"The euro is a look ahead and an important step for economic growth, better conditions for business and higher productivity", she added.
Dimitar Radev, for his part, stated that membership in the eurozone is a strategic opportunity to increase the competitiveness and long-term economic potential of Bulgaria.
He emphasized the need to conduct a reasonable macroeconomic policy, maintain budgetary discipline and implement structural reforms in the areas of human capital, innovation and institutional.