Slovakia - Factors To Watch on June 18

...

VISEGRAD FOUR PRIME MINISTERS MEET

Prime Ministers of Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia meet in Bratislava. Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates also to attend. The news conference at 1030 GMT.

SLOVAK AND HUNGARIAN PM MEET

Prime Minister Robert Fico will hold bilateral talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany, the news conference at 1425 GMT.

SDKU NEWS CONFERENCE

The strongest opposition party SDKU of ex-Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda will hold a news conference on Slovakia's economic situation a year after the general election, 0800 GMT.

TRADE UNIONS NEWS CONFERENCE

Slovakia's trade unions will hold a news conference on a new labour code, 1100 GMT.

CROWN FIRMS ON IMPROVED EMERGING MARKET MOOD

The Slovak crown firmed through a psychological level of 34.0 per euro on Friday, helped by renewed investor appetite for emerging assets, traders said.

[ID:nL15659447] [RTRS-FRX-CEN-SK]

C.BANK FOREX RESERVES DIP TO $17.45 BLN

The Slovak central bank's (NBS) foreign currency reserves edged down to $17.455 billion as of June 13, from $17.685 billion a week ago, the bank said on Friday.

[ID:nL15412015] [RTRS-CEN-FRX-MMT-SK]

PRESS DIGEST

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

PM FICO SLAMS MEDIA

Prime Minister Robert Fico slammed Slovak media for lacking objectivity and misleading the public about the government policies.

Sme, page 1

LABOUR CODE

Junior ruling coalition parties HDZS and SNS are seeking adjustments to a new labour code draft, due for the parliamentary debate on Tuesday.

Sme, page 4

ELECTRICITY PRICES

Slovakia's three electricity distributors will not hike prices for households from July.

Sme, page 6

NO CHANGES TO PENSION SAVINGS

The government will not change settings of private savings in the pension system, Social Affairs Minister Viera Tomanova said.

Sme, page 6

HIGHWAY TENDER

The transportation ministry will launch tenders worth billions of crowns by the end of June to pick construction companies for the country's three highway projects.

Pravda, page 1

EXECUTORS EYE $13.4 BLN DEBT FROM HOSPITALS

Slovakia's executors seek debts worth 343.4 billion crowns ($13.36 billion) from the country's hospitals.

Pravda, page 1

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=25.70 Slovak Crown)