21/06/2013 (Agence Europe) - On 1 January 2014, Latvia will become the eighteenth country to join the euro, decided the ECOFIN Council on Friday 21 June, based on recommendations from the European Commission and European Central Bank earlier this month (see EUROPE 10860). The Latvian finance minister has pledged to ensure that his country continues sound management of public finances and implements structural reforms in the financial industry, explained the head of Eurogroup, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, after a meeting of Eurogroup on Thursday 20 June. The final conversion rate for the Latvian currency, the lats, will be announced in July. (MB/transl.fl)