Croatia has adopted the euro, bringing the number of European Union member states using the single currency to 20.

Sunday's event came nearly a decade after Croatia joined what is now the 27-nation European Union.

A new Croatian euro coin is showcased at the Croatian central bank in Zagreb, Croatia, on Dec. 14, 2022. (AP/Kyodo)

"I welcome Croatia to the euro family and to the ECB Governing Council table in Frankfurt," said Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank.

"Croatia worked hard to become the 20th member of the euro area, and it succeeded," Lagarde said in a statement released Sunday. "It shows the euro is an attractive currency, which brings stability to its members."

Croatia declared independence from the then Yugoslavia in 1991 and established diplomatic ties with Japan in 1993.


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