Brussels/Athens, 28/12/2000 (Agence Europe) - Greece joined the countries of the euro area on 1 January 2001 and will therefore participate in the first meeting of the Euro Group of the new year, to be chaired by Belgian Finance Minister Didier Reynders, on 18 January in Brussels, prior to the first Ecofin Council of the year, scheduled for Friday 19 January.
As it joins the single currency, Greece is quitting the exchange-rate mechanism (the "ERM II" or "EMS2") set in place at the start of...