The European Central Bank (ECB) Thursday decided to maintain the key interest rates for the euro area unchanged.

The eurozone base interest rate will remain at 0.00 percent, with the marginal lending rate and deposit rate remaining at 0.25 percent and minus 0.40 percent respectively.

The ECB went on expecting that the key interest rates will remain at their present levels at least through the summer of 2019, and in any case for as long as necessary to ensure the continued sustained convergence of inflation to levels that are below, but close to, 2 percent over the medium term.

The ECB reaffirmed that the monthly net asset purchases will be cut to 15 billion euros from October until the end of December 2018 and that net purchases will then end.