Slovakia - Factors To Watch on May 21

...

DUTCH QEEEN VISIT

Dutch Queen Beatrix will start a three-day visit to Slovakia.

SDKU ON EURO PLAN

Former Finance Minister Ivan Miklos of the opposition SDKU party will hold a news conference on threats to Slovakia's euro adoption plan, 0830 GMT.

C.BANK FOREX RESERVES DIP TO $17.7 BLN

The Slovak central bank's (NBS) foreign currency reserves dipped to $17.702 billion as of May 16 from $17.787 billion a week ago, the bank said on Friday.

[ID:nL18258492] [RTRS-CEN-FRX-SK]

CROWN EASES AGAIN, DIVIDEND OUTFLOW WEIGHS

The Slovak crown fell to a three-week low on Friday as foreign shareholders continued to repatriate profits from local companies, and analysts saw room for more losses.

[ID:nL18457863] [RTRS-MMT-FRX-SK]

PRESS DIGEST

------------

SECRET SERVICE LEAK

A Slovak web-page, www.zoznam.sk, owned by the country's dominant fixed-line operator Slovak Telekom, has published hundreds of secret numbers of government officials and state secrete service.

Sme, page 1

EBRD SEES 2007 GDP GROWTH AT 8.4 PCT

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) forecast the Slovak economy would growth by 8.4 percent this year, driven by booming car industry production. The bank said Slovakia has good prospects for adopting the euro in 2009.

Sme, page 5

HEALTHCARE WAGES

Healthcare Minister Ivan Valentovic said the ministry made no promises of 30-percent wage growth, and therefore there was no reasons for doctors strike alert.

Pravda, page 1

LABOUR CODE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES

Doctors said emergency services would face serious problems if the new labour code is adopted, as they need to hire around 1000 new doctors.

Pravda, page 1

CHEAP WATER POWER

Hydro power plants became the cheapest source of electricity after the shutdown of the first unit of the country's oldest nuclear power-plant at Jaslovske Bohunice.

Pravda, page 2

For news on upcoming events in the United States and other Group of Seven countries, see . For a diary of forthcoming Slovak events, double click [SK/DIARY], and a calendar of east European economic indicators, see [CONV/DIARY].

News editor of the day: Peter Laca, on +421 2 5341 8402; fax: +421 2 5341 8403

E-mail: editorial@reuters.sk

Reuters Messaging: peter.laca.reuters.com@reuters.net

For real-time index quotes, double click in brackets:

Warsaw WIG20 Budapest BUX Prague PX50 Other related news: Slovak equities [SK-E] E.Europe equities [.CEE] Slovak money [SK-M] Czech debt [CZ-D] Slovak Indicators [SK-ECI] Emerging forex [EMRG/FRX] Eastern European [EEU] All emerging markets [EMRG] Hot stocks [HOT] Stock markets [STX] Market debt news [DBT] Forex news [FRX] TOP NEWS -- Emerging markets [TOP/EMRG] TOP NEWS -- Convergence watch [TOP/EAST]

($1=24.91 Slovak Crown)

[BRATISLAVA/Reuters/Finance.cz]