(18 Dec 09 - RV) Late yesterday afternoon the Holy See Press Office announced that
on the morning of 17 December a monetary convention was signed in Brussels, Belgium,
between Vatican City State and the European Union. The document was signed in the
name of the Holy See, as representative of Vatican City State, by Archbishop Andre
Dupuy, apostolic nuncio to the European Union, while Joaquin Almunia, European Commissioner
for Economic and Financial Affairs, signed for the European Union. The provisions
of the new convention, which replaces the monetary convention of 29 December 2000
that introduced the euro as the official currency of Vatican City State, will come
into effect from 1 January 2010.