The Associated Press
Slovenia adopts euro as new currency
Slovenia adopted the euro on Monday, becoming the 13th EU nation to use the single European currency.
Minister of Finance Andrej Bajuk was the first to use a cash machine to withdraw Slovenian euros.
"We are extremely happy and proud. We took this as a national project and we have indeed achieved and fulfilled all the criteria to make this a reality. It's extremely important for us", said Bajuk.
Slovenes adopted the currency at a rate of 239.640 tolars to one euro as of Jan 1.
The Slovene tolar and the euro will be in dual use until Jan. 15, when the euro will officially take over as the country's sole legal tender.
Prime Minister Janez Jansa called the switch the "biggest national achievement" since the tiny Alpine country of 2 million joined the European Union in 2004.
Slovenia, a former Yugoslav republic, is alone among the 10 nations that joined at that time to have fulfilled the rigorous economic criteria needed to join the euro zone.
More than two-thirds of the country's cash machines were fully operating in euros by late morning, while gas stations and highway toll booths switched immediately as the New Year kicked off. There were no reports of any glitches.
A recent EU survey showed more than 70 percent of Slovenes happy to embrace the euro, with many saying they see it as further proof they are part of mainstream Europe.
But some remained sentimental about the tolars, introduced when the country declared independence in 1991.
"Saying farewell is usually not very nice. But this time it is about good memories and the hope that we are adopting a currency that is as good or even better," said central bank governor Mitja Gaspari.
"It makes life a lot simpler," said Renata Kovac, who works in a kiosk at Ljubljana's central rail station. "I have lots of foreign customers and I always had to send them to the exchange office for small change as they didn't have any tolars."
The introduction of the euro coincided with New Year's festivities across Slovenia. Thousands of revelers in the capital, Ljubljana, witnessed the release of some 3,000 yellow-and-blue helium balloons bearing euro signs at the stroke of midnight.
Only 20 years ago, Slovenia was a drab communist republic with annual inflation running up to 1,500 percent; now inflation is 1.9 percent, lower than Germany's. Its economic growth was 4 percent last year, well above the EU's average of 1.4 percent.
To preserve its national identity in the uniform euro zone, Slovenia used its right to display its national symbols on the euro coins it mints in the country.
The addition of Slovenia expands the euro zone to a population of 316.6 million.
Although some analysts feared price hikes or complications in accounting, invoicing or payroll systems, few expect any real problems during the conversion in Slovenia.
About 97 percent of businesses said they were ready for the euro in a poll conducted by Eurobarometer in September.
The government and consumer watchdogs urged the public to protest notable price increases in the private sector.
Location of Slovenia in Europe.

On January 1 2007, Slovenia officially joined the  and adopted the  as its new official currency. At the same time, , which were available as a "starter kit" from December 15, became legal tender everywhere in the Eurozone.

A period of dual circulation, when both the former currency, the  and the euro will be accepted, will only last until January 14. All banks are going to exchange tolars into euros at the official rate of 239.64 SIT per 1 EUR at no commission until March 1, 2007. After that date it will be possible to exchange tolar banknotes (unlimited) and coins (until 2016) only at the Bank of Slovenia.

Most  already dispense euro banknotes with the rest to follow in the following days. Commercial banks automatically converted all tolar accounts into euros and online banking systems will be accessible to their users again on January 3. Even though January 1 and 2 are non-working days in Slovenia, many banks will be opened from 10:00 to 14:00 on both days, available only for one service: exchanging tolars to euros and larger euro banknotes into smaller units.