Czech Republic could start using euro by 2010, says minister

The Czech Republic could start using the euro by 2010, Finance Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said on Tuesday. To meet the Masstricht criteria necessary to adopt the euro, the public deficit must not exceed three percent of gross domestic product. The Finance Ministry expects the public deficit to be down to 5.5 percent of GDP four years from now. Poland is evidently more ambitious - the Polish foreign minister said it would be best if his country introduced the euro in 2006.