View: EU’s strategic shift in South Caucasus connectivity
The European Union’s interest in investing in regional connectivity projects in the South Caucasus, such as the Trump Route for International Peace ...
Bulgaria will adopt the euro on January 1, 2026, aiming for stronger economic growth and higher living standards, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov announced following the European Commission’s approval.
Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov confirmed on Thursday that Bulgaria will officially join the euro zone on January 1, 2026, following the European Commission’s approval of the country's accession request.
Speaking in Sofia after meeting with European Union Commissioner for the Economy Valdis Dombrovskis, Zhelyazkov said the move will enhance Bulgaria’s economic growth and improve purchasing power.
“The accession to the euro area will guarantee better growth, better purchasing power for the people. This means better convergence with the European living standards,” he said.
Bulgaria, which joined the EU in 2007, will become the 21st country to adopt the euro. However, the announcement has sparked concerns about potential price hikes, as seen in other euro zone entrants.
Addressing these fears, Zhelyazkov said his government is implementing awareness campaigns and transparency measures to protect vulnerable populations, especially the elderly.
“There will be no tight deadline and no commission fees for converting savings from the lev to the euro,” he assured. “We will avoid the hastiness.”
The lev-to-euro conversion will be carried out at a fixed exchange rate, monitored by market regulators to prevent unjustified price increases.
With an average monthly salary of 2,443 leva (about $1,421), Bulgaria remains the EU’s poorest member state. The government hopes euro adoption will accelerate economic alignment with wealthier EU nations.
Russia’s human rights commissioner, Tatyana Moskalkova, has said that Ukraine has not provided Moscow with a list of thousands of children it alleges were taken illegally to Russia, despite the issue being discussed during talks in Istanbul.
Iranian authorities have seized a foreign tanker carrying more than 6 million litres of smuggled fuel in the Sea of Oman, detaining all 18 crew members on board.
An explosive device found in a vehicle linked to one of the alleged attackers in Bondi shooting has been secured and removed according to Police. The incident left 12 people dead.
The latest round of clashes between Thailand and Cambodia has left 15 Thai soldiers dead and 270 others injured, Thailand’s Ministry of Defence spokesman Surasant Kongsiri said at a press conference on Saturday.
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa has offered condolences to President Donald Trump following an ISIS attack near the ancient city of Palmyra that killed two U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter, Syrian and U.S. officials said Sunday.
French senators on Monday approved a revised 2026 budget bill that the government warned could worsen the country’s fiscal deficit, setting the stage for tense negotiations between parliament’s two chambers later this week.
Flooding in Bolivia’s eastern Santa Cruz region has killed at least 20 people after an overflowing river swept through multiple communities, authorities said on Monday, with the toll expected to increase as rescue teams reach areas that were previously inaccessible.
Filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were found dead in their Los Angeles home in an apparent homicide, with police arresting their son, Nick Reiner, who is being held on a $4 million bond.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held two rounds of high-stakes talks in Berlin, Germany on 14-15 December. Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, posted on X that discussions with the U.S. envoy have been "constructive and productive".
Thailand’s military has halted fuel shipments through a key border checkpoint with Laos, citing intelligence that supplies were being diverted to Cambodian forces amid escalating clashes along the disputed frontier.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment