The European Central Bank (ECB) is closely monitoring developments in Slovakia in connection with the country's ambition to join the eurozone.
ECB president Jean-Claude Trichet met with Prime Minister Robert Fico, Foreign Affairs Minister Ján Kubiš and the National Bank of Slovakia president Ivan Šramko in Frankfurt on April 26.
Šramko said that the ECB and the European Commission will be evaluating whether Slovakia will have fulfilled the criteria on schedule in March or April 2008.
"Unless significant changes occur in the external environment, such as to oil or commodity prices or the value of the dollar, we can start presenting the case that Slovakia is fulfilling this criterion on the basis of the 12-month average," Šramko said.
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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