Romania Firm on Making the Euro Zone in 2015

Romanian President Traian Basescu (L) and German President Christian Wulff speak to pupils welcoming the Romanian President in the garden of Bellevue Palace in Berlin, Germany, 10 November 2011. EPA/BGNES

Romania remains firmly focused on its target of joining the eurozone in 2015, Romanian President Traian Basescu said in an interview with Thursday's edition of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

The 2015 target is "realistic" and an "incentive," said Basescu, on a visit to Berlin and with meetings scheduled Thursday with President German Christian Wulff and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, as cited by DPA.

"All the measures are in place to prepare Romania for the euro zone," he said, explaining that his country, a European Union member since 2007, is planning a balanced budget for 2013.

While people are not happy about austerity measures needed for that, they also understand it must be done that way, Basescu said, adding,

"We must not make debts at the cost of the coming generation and squander our resources."

DPA reminds that, hit hard by the economic crisis, Romania has, in the past two years, embarked upon a tough reform programme to curb spending to sustainable levels, even as it draws upon a EUR 20 B bailout from the International Monetary Fund and the European Union.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!