Bulgaria's central bank

The Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) will release a new BGN 2 coin to replace the BGN 2 banknotes by end-2015.

According to BNB data, BGN 2 banknotes are the ones that most often become unfit for circulation.

Greece-based Piraeus Bank is negotiating with the National Bank of Greece (NBG) group over a potential merger into United Bulgarian Bank, owned by NBG, media reports suggest.

None of the two Greek lenders has yet commented on the reports of the Greek-language news website Euro2Day, which is quoted by the Bulgarian mass circulation daily 24 Chasa ("24 Hours").

Bulgaria's central bank BNB said on Thursday it will publicly unveil a plan for the strengthening of its banking supervision role by the end of September 2015.

Bulgaria's central bank has said its commitment and action taken so far create prerequisites for the timely finalisation of the acquisition of the branch nework of Greece's Alpha Bank in the country by Postbank, a subsidiary of another Greek lender, Eurobank.

Bulgaria's central bank has asked local lenders to report on outgoing transfers twice a day, increasing its vigilance in view of the debt crisis in neighbouring Greece, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing three banking sources.

The stability of the EU and the eurozone is a matter of paramount importance for Bulgaria, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has said after Greeks rejected the creditors' terms of a cash-for-reforms deal.

The resounding 'No' in Sunday's referendum in Greece has set Athens up for further clash with European creditors and uncertain future in eurozone.

The decision by Athens to shut down banks in the country this week has no legal force outside Greece and cannot be applied to Bulgaria, the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) has said.

The Patriotic Front (PF) has nominated Grigorii Vazov for the position of Bulgaria's central bank governor.

The term of office of the incumbent Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) chief Ivan Iskrov will expire in October.

Bulgaria's central bank governor Ivan Iskrov has said he will resign on 19 June, BGNES reported on Thursday.

"Iskrov has said he will step down the moment we submit a nomination for Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) governor," the news outlet quoted the head of the parliament's budget and finance committee, Menda Stoyanova, as saying.

A new type of counterfeit banknotes of BGN 2 (EUR 1) issue 2005 has been spotted, Bulgaria's central bank warned on Friday.

The holographic band, which is the basic security feature of a banknote most often checked in circulation, is fake with its optical effects resembling those of genuine banknotes to a great extent.