site.btaFinance Minister: Bulgaria Only Stands to Win from Joining Eurozone

115 ECONOMY-FINANCE MINISTER-EUROZONE

Finance Minister: Bulgaria
Only Stands to Win from
Joining Eurozone


Sofia, June 2 (BTA) - Bulgaria only stands to win from joining the Eurozone, Finance Minister Vladislav Goranov said Friday, speaking at a forum presenting the 2017 European Semester recommendations specific to Bulgaria. Attending the event is Valdis Dombrovskis, Vice-President of the European Commission for the Euro and Social Dialogue, also in charge of Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union.

Goranov said that a big part of the member states who joined the Eurozone did so "with a very high percentage of cohesion". In his words, the nominal criteria for joining the Eurozone are not sufficient and a discussion is needed on whether strengthening and enlarging the Eurozone should become a priority.

Speaking to reporters after the forum, Goranov said that the national budget is not going to be updated. The budget of the public social insurance will be revised to reflect the increase of the minimum pension, Goranov said, adding that the revenue to the public social insurance budget and the buffers in pensions expenditure will make it possible to ensure the necessary 97 million leva for the increased minimum pension until the end of the year. LY/ZH

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