Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) Governor Dimitar Radev addressed recent media reports regarding his comments on Bulgaria’s convergence reports related to joining the eurozone. Speaking in a brief interview with BTA, Radev clarified that, as a member of the European Central Bank’s (ECB) General Council, he is involved in the process of preparing and approving these reports, but emphasized that the final evaluation has not yet been made public.

Radev stressed that while the Bulgarian National Bank considers the country fully ready to adopt the euro, this readiness must still be officially confirmed by the relevant European institutions. He also rejected circulating quotes attributed to him suggesting prior knowledge of the convergence reports, calling those statements inaccurate and unprofessional. According to Radev, the true content of his remarks can be verified by reviewing the full recording of his speech at a recent event in Pleven.

When asked about the public and political attention stirred by the quotes, including calls by the pro-Russian “Revival” party for parliamentary hearings and a report to the National Security Agency, Radev declined to comment on those developments directly.

On the topic of Bulgaria’s eurozone admission, he explained that the ECB convergence report is a collective effort by bank experts, with the General Council members, including himself, participating throughout the process. However, he reiterated that no one outside the official channels knows the final verdict until it is formally released.

Radev acknowledged the heightened public interest ahead of this significant milestone but expects the situation to settle soon. He described the atmosphere within the Bulgarian National Bank as calm and confident, emphasizing that the institution’s work serves the public interest.

Source: BTA interview