Slovakia - Factors To Watch on Sept 6

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    EU MUST PLAY FAIRLY ON SLOVAK EURO ENTRY BID -PM 
    Slovakia wants the European Union to drop the double 
standards it has practised in the past and is seeking fair 
treatment next year when the EU assesses its bid to adopt the 
euro in 2009, Prime Minister Robert Fico said. 
    [ID:nL05542797] [RTRS-EUR-POL-EU-SK] 
     
    PM SLAMS US FOR MISSILE DEFENCE "ADVENTURE" 
    Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico criticised the United 
States for bypassing NATO with a plan to deploy a missile 
defence system in central Europe, calling the project an 
adventure. 
    [ID:nL04854821] [RTRS-DIP-POL-EMRG-SK] 
     
    C.BANKERS SAY GDP NOT FUELLING INFLATION 
    Slovakia's robust economic growth rate, one of the fastest 
in the European Union, is not destabilising the economy and 
should not add to inflation risks, two central bank (NBS) board 
members said on Wednesday. 
    [ID:nL05860353] [RTRS-MCE-ECI-PLCY-SK] 
     
    CABINET APPROVES HIGHWAY PROJECTS 
    The Slovak cabinet approved on Wednesday a 105.7 billion 
crown ($4.26 billion) highway financing plan using private 
capital, aiming to balance faster road building with the need to 
cut the fiscal deficit. 
    [ID:nL05893129] [RTRS-RRL-GVD-SK] 
     
    PRESS DIGEST 
    ------------ 
    2008 ELECTRICITY PRICES 
    Electricity distribution companies seek a 19 percent hike in 
prices for households, affective from January 2008. Prime 
Minister Robert Fico is likely to push for no change in 
electricity prices. 
    Pravda, page 1 
     
    RISING MILK PRICES 
    Prices of milk rose by 20-30 percent in September, 
Slovakia's biggest rise in recent years, as lack of milk in 
Europe is pushing prices up. 
    Pravda, page 1 
     
    PENTA'S 2006 PROFIT 183 MLN EURO 
    Consolidated profit of Slovakia's private equity group Penta 
reached 183 million euros last year. 
    Sme, page 6 
     
    EUROPEAN SOCIALISTS SLAM FICO'S MEDIA ATTACKS 
    European Socialists criticised Prime Minister Robert Fico's 
attacks against the media in Slovakia, saying such practices 
were unacceptable.  
    Hospodarske Noviny, 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: Martin Dokoupil on +421 2 5341 8402; 
fax: +421 2 5341 8403 
    E-mail: editorial@reuters.sk 
    Reuters Messaging: martin.dokoupil.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=24.75 Slovak Crown)