 |
 |
|
||
  |
||||
                  |
Barroso and Almunia Congratulate Slovenia on Euro28 December 2006
The President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso and the European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs Joaquin Almunia, have congratulated Slovenia on its accession to the eurozone, expressing their belief that the changeover will "run smoothly" and that the euro is a "great opportunity" for Slovenia. In the statement released on Thursday, Barroso said that stability-oriented macroeconomic policies helped Slovenia achieve a high degree of sustainable convergence, which enabled the country to boost its GDP and come close to the EU average. Welcoming Slovenia into the eurozone, Barroso said that this was a historic moment for Slovenia. "I know that you are already familiar with the euro banknotes and coins and I am convinced that 1 January will be as exciting for your as it was for the citizens of the remaining 12 eurozone members who experienced the changeover," Barroso added. Almunia is convinced that the euro will bring stability, lower inflation and interest rates to the Slovenian economy, but notes that "it also presents a challenge as Slovenia needs to make an effort at modernising its economy if it wants to benefit from eurozone membership". He also called on Slovenians to cooperate with the government and consumer associations in the fight against unwarranted price hikes. In this process they can turn to the experience of other eurozone members which managed to resist the abuses related to the changeover. Source: Slovene press agency
| |