Slovakia - Factors To Watch on Oct 19

...central bank will publish its weekly foreign currency 
reserves data, 1200 GMT. 
     
    SLOVAK EURO EFFORT MAY DETERMINE FATE OF OTHERS 
    The European Union risks undermining the motivation of new 
member states to adopt the euro if it rejects Slovakia's bid to 
join the single currency area in just over a year, policymakers 
and analysts said. 
    [ID:nL18483432] [RTRS-RSUM-EMRG-SK] 
     
    SLOVAK FINMIN SEES ROAD SPENDING RISK TO EURO PLAN 
    The Slovak Finance Ministry wants the government to cut down 
planned highway construction projects to ensure spending stays 
within the limits required to adopt the euro in 2009, a document 
showed on Thursday. 
    [ID:nL18695301] [RTRS-CON-GVD-SK] 
     
    SLOVAKIA REPORTS FIRST MAD COW CASE IN TWO YEARS 
    Tests have discovered a case of mad-cow disease in Slovak 
cattle exported to Hungary, the first case of the brain-wasting 
affliction in Slovakia in two years, the state veterinary body 
said on Thursday. 
    [ID:nL1861114] [RTRS-TRD-LIV-SK] 
     
    PRESS DIGEST 
    ------------ 
    JUNCKER ON SLOVAK EURO BID 
    Eurogroup Chairman Jean-Claude Juncker said no one was 
interested in preventing Slovakia from entering the euro zone. 
Juncker said Slovakia should conduct prudent fiscal policy on 
the way to euro adoption. 
    Pravda, page 16 
     
    HIGHER FUEL PRICES 
    The cost of fuels is expected to rise by at least 0.5 crowns 
($0.021) per litre next week in reaction to record high oil 
price seen this week. 
    Pravda, page 16 
     
    INTEREST RATES SEEN STEADY 
    The Slovak central bank is expected to keep interest rates 
on hold in October despite a jump in inflation driven by higher 
prices of food, analysts said. 
    Sme, page 1 
     
    FICO MEETS GYURCSANY 
    Prime Minister Robert Fico met his Hungarian counterpart 
Ferenc Gyurcsany during the European Union summit in Lisbon. The 
two leaders met for the first time since tensions between 
Slovakia and Hungary escalated in September.  
    Sme, page 2 
     
    VUB EYES ISTROBANKA 
    Slovakia's VUB Bank , owned by Italy's Intesa 
SanPaolo , said it might be interested in buying 
Istrobanka, the Slovak unit of Austria's bank BAWAG. 
    Sme, page 7 
     
    UKRAINE WORKERS 
    Slovakia will abolish quotas for Ukraine workers to deal 
with deepening shortage of skilled workforce. 
    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: 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=23.49 Slovak Crown) 
  

[BRATISLAVA/Reuters/Finance.cz]