24/01/2006 (Agence Europe) - In an interview with Italian radio RAI last Saturday, Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank (ECM), said Slovenia was certainly the closest country to the eurozone in terms of indicators. Bini Smaghi said it could be argued that Slovenia would be able to join the euro in exactly one year's time. Before being allowed to join the euro, countries have to spend two years within the Exchange Rate Mechanism II (ERM II), which Slovenia joined in June 2004. Slovenia will also have to respect the Maastricht criteria and the European Commission and the ECB will be looking at this in 2006. In practical terms (preparing to replace its currency, preparing for government and public authorities to use the euro, and choosing the design for Slovenian euro coins), Slovenia is relatively well advanced in preparing to join the euro, noted the European Commission in November (see EUROPE 9062).