Slovakia - Factors To Watch on June 20

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GOVERNMENT MEETING

The government will hold its regular weekly meeting.

PARLIAMENT SESSION

Parliament will continue in a regular monthly session. The agenda includes a debate on labour code amendments.

CBANK SEEN HOLDING INTEREST RATES IN JUNE

The Slovak central bank (NBS) will probably leave interest rates on hold next week, watching inflation and trends in euro zone borrowing costs, analysts said on Tuesday.

[ID:nL19742935] [RTRS-CEN-INT-FRX-SK]

MPS PANEL OKS CBANK VICE-GOVERNOR NOMINEE

A Slovak parliamentary panel approved on Tuesday Viliam Ostrozlik to the post of central bank vice governor, boosting the likelihood that the government nominee will win the backing of the full assembly.

[ID:nL19578306] [RTRS-CEN-EUROPE-SK]

CBANK DRAINS SKK 172 BLN IN REPO TENDER

The Slovak central bank (NBS) accepted all bids in a regular two-week repo tender on Tuesday, draining 171.907 billion crowns ($6.81 billion) from the market.

[ID:nL19452896] [RTRS-FRX-CEN-SK]

JOBLESS HITS RECORD LOW, TO FALL FURTHER

Slovakia's unemployment rate fell to a record low of 8.33 percent in May due to seasonal effects and the outflow of workers seeking jobs abroad, the Labour Office said on Tuesday.

[ID:nL19113512] [RTRS-JOB-ECI-SK]

CROWN AT 3-WK HIGH VS EURO, SLIGHT GAINS SEEN

The Slovak crown firmed to more than a three-week peak against the euro on Tuesday, helped by improved regional sentiment and traders said moderate gains were likely in the near term if the mood holds.

[ID:nL19822896] [RTRS-MMT-FRX-SK]

PRESS DIGEST

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FORD EYES SLOVAK PLANT

Ford Motor Co is interested in building an assembly plant in eastern Slovakia, sources told the daily Hospodarske Noviny.

Hospodarske Noviny, page 1

KIA ADDS NEW MODEL AT SLOVAK PLANT

The South Korean car maker Kia Motors has added a new model Sportage to its production at the Slovak plant. Kia plans to make 150,000 cars in Slovakia in 2007, of which 40,000 will be the Sportage model.

Pravda, page 5

UNIVERSITY FEES

Vladimir Meciar, the leader of a junior coalition party HZDS, has rejected a draft law designed to introduce fees for external university students.

Pravda, page 1

SCHENGEN ENTRY

Slovakia's border with Ukraine is prepared to meet European Union conditions for entering the borderless Schengen area, Interior Minister Robert Kalinak said.

Pravda, page 6

HEALTHCARE WARNING

Slovakia's Antimonopoly Office has warned the healthcare ministry that its intentions to ban private health insurers from making profit violates the constitution and international laws.

Sme, page 1

FICO'S POPULARITY DECLINE

Popularity of Prime Minister Robert Fico has declined for a third consecutive month in June, a poll conducted by the Statistics Office said. Fico's popularity fell to 34 percent in June, from 37 percent in May.

Sme, 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=25.70 Slovak Crown)