...BOSNIA'S PM SPIRIC Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico meets Bosnia's Prime Minister Nikola Spiric. News conference at 1030 GMT. PM FICO TO ATTEND EU HEALT CONFERENCE Prime Minister Robert Fico attenda a conference of the European Union's health-care ministers at 0800 GMT. GETRAG-FORD NEW GEARBOX PLANT Getrag-Ford joint venture will open its new gearbox plant near the eastern city of Kosice. GOVT SEES SLIGHT INFLATION RISE AFTER EURO Slovakia will probably see only a slight pick-up in inflation after euro adoption unlike the newest euro zone member Slovenia, a government document predicted on Wednesday. [ID:nL2162630] [RTRS-POL-EUR-SK] RATES SEEN ON HOLD DESPITE FASTER INFLATION The Slovak central bank will probably keep interest rates on hold next week despite rising inflation as a strong crown currency continues to secure tight monetary conditions, a Reuters survey showed on Wednesday. [ID:nL2160357] [RTRS-CEN-PLCY-INT-SK] KAZAKH PRESIDENT SEES NEAR TRIPLING OF OIL OUTPUT Kazakhstan will nearly triple its oil output by 2012-2015, President Nursultan Nazarbayev said on Wednesday. [ID:nL21526294] [RTRS-CRU-ENR-NGS-SK] CROWN AT 2-WEEK LOWS ON GLOBAL RISK AVERSION The Slovak crown weakened to two-week lows against the euro on Wednesday on rising risk aversion on global markets and dealers said it had not been affected by a government row. [ID:nL21693884] [RTRS-MMT-FRX-SK] PRESS DIGEST ------------ COALITION ROW Prime Minister Robert Fico said he wanted to avoid supporting what he discribed as "scandalous" land transfers at any price, including breaking up the coalition if need be. He is unhappy about the deals, in which the state may have lost tens of millions of dollars and which were supervised by his junior coalition partner (HZDS). Further negotiations within the ruling coalition, aimed at resolving the row over the transfers, are expected to take place on Thursday, Fico said in an exclusive interview for local news channel TA3. Related story: [nL20868606] FICO, MECIAR MEETING Prime Minister Robert Fico met his coalition partner Vladimir Meciar late at night on Wednesday to debate political tensions within the coalition. Both politicians declined to comment on results, news channel TA3 reported. EURO ADOPTION Possible snap election could complicate Slovakia's ambition to adopt the euro in 2009 as planned, analysts said. Pravda, page 3 EARLY ELECTION Junior government party HZDS of Vladimir Meciar said snap election would be a "suicide attempt", as HZDS could come below the needed 5 percent threshold to gain parliamentary presence. Pravda, page 1 NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE Slovak parliament will hold a no-confidence vote against the Parliament's Chairman Pavol Paska, Fico's Smer party member initiated by all three opposition parties on Monday. Sme, page 2 CHRISTMAS BONUSES Government will pay one-off bonuses worth 1.63 billion crowns ($72.19 million) to poor pensioners, ranging from 1,500 crowns ($66.43) to 2,000 crown in December, Labour and Social Affairs Minister Viera Tomanova said. 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=22.58 Slovak Crown) ($1=22.58 Slovak Crown)
[BRATISLAVA/Reuters/Finance.cz]