(dpa) - Slovakia has formally applied to join the eurozone early next year, top European finance officials said Saturday.
Currently Eastern Europe's biggest economic success story, Slovakia would become the 16th country to adopt the common currency and the second ex-communist member of the eurozone after Slovenia.
Slovak Finance Minister Jan Pociatek and central bank chief Ivan Sramko made the application in a letter to the European Commission and the European Central Bank (ECB), EU Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs Joaquin Almunia and ECB president Jean-Claude Trichet told reporters after a meeting of EU finance officials.