...
CBANK RESERVES
The central bank will publish weekly foreign currency reserves, 1200 GMT.
ECB'S TRICHET-SLOVAKIA NEEDS ACTIVE EURO PROGRAMME
Slovakia needs a "very, very active" convergence programme in order to make the grade for euro adoption, which the country hopes to achieve in 2009, European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet said on Thursday.
[ID:nL05875737] [RTRS-EUR-EMU-CEN-SK]
PORTUGAL'S MOTA ENGIL SEEKS MORE E.EUROPEAN WORK
Portugal's largest builder Mota-Engil wants to tender to build and operate highways in eastern Europe, said Arnaldo Figueiredo, President of Mota-Engil's engineering unit.
[ID:nL05861618] [RTRS-EMRG-CON-SK]
CROWN NEARS 9-WK HIGH VS EURO, SEEN VOLATILE
The Slovak crown firmed against the euro on Wednesday, approaching 9-week highs seen in the previous two sessions and dealers said trading might be volatile due to low liquidity and market holidays in the U.S.
[ID:nL0459047] [RTRS-MMT-FRX-SK]
PRESS DIGEST
------------
SLOVAK LINK TO GLASGOW BOMBING
One of the two detained suspects in the Glasgow airport bomb attack, Khalid Ahmed, was possibly trained as doctor in Slovakia between 1995 and 2001. The daily Sme has found a Palestinian who confirmed that Ahmed had stayed in Slovakia.
Sme, page 1
RECORD DIVIDENDS
Foreign investors will get up to 70 billion crowns ($2.85 billion) in dividends from their shareholdings in Slovak companies. The record total dividends from 2006 profits are linked to the booming economy, which rose by record 8.3 percent year-on-year in 2006.
Pravda, page 1
HIGHWAY TOLL
The government has approved fees for the planned electronic highway toll system, which is due to become effective in 2009. The approved plan would make Slovakia a country with the highest highway fees in the region.
Sme, page 6
HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION
Prime Minister Robert Fico wants faster highway construction. The transport and telecommunication ministry said investment would reach 22 billion crowns ($896.9 million) by 2010.
Sme, page 6
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=24.53 Slovak Crown) ($1=24.53 Slovak Crown)