Croatia adopts euro and enters Schengen zone

Croatia at midnight Saturday-Sunday joined the monetary union and adopted the euro and entered the Schengen zone; European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is visiting Zagreb to mark the occasion, AFP writes on Sunday.

"This is a period of new beginnings, and in Croatia's case even more so than anywhere else in Europe," von der Leyen, who arrived in Croatia on New Year's Day to celebrate the changes coming into force, wrote on Twitter.

At Slovenia's border with Croatia, the EC chief met with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and Slovenian President Natasa Pirc Musar, before heading to Zagreb.

(PAP)