(ANSA-AFP) - SOFIA, JAN 1 - Bulgaria became the 21st European country to adopt the euro as it entered the New Year, a milestone greeted with both joy and awe, nearly two decades after the Balkan nation joined the EU.At midnight local time (22:00 GMT on Wednesday), Bulgaria hailed both its historic currency, the lev, and the 2025, welcoming the euro with the hope that it would strengthen the economy of the member state with the EU's most backward economy and solidify ties with the West, but also with the fear that it would cause prices to rise. (ANSA-AFP).