04/12/2007 (Agence Europe) - When asked by the press after the Eurogroup meeting about Slovakia's joining the euro area, Joaquin Almunia highlighted Bratislava's “fine efforts”. After his meeting with Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico on Monday 3 December, he did not wish to prejudge the assessment of respect for the Maastricht criteria which he and the European Central Bank will make in their convergence report next spring. “The efforts must continue to meet the Maastricht criteria,” he stressed, hoping that the excessive deficit procedure could be closed, if the current forecasts (-2.7% of GDP in 2007) proved accurate. Addressing the European Parliament economic and monetary affairs committee, Fico gave assurances that his country would meet all the economic criteria for the adoption of the euro on 1 January 2009. (A.B.)