Slovakia - Factors To Watch on Oct 13

    BRATISLAVA, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press 
reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial 
markets on Friday. 
     
    OPPOSITION NEWS CONFERENCE 
    Leaders of the three opposition parties will meet to discuss 
the 2007 state budget draft. (0800 GMT) 
     
    C.BANK TO RELEASE WEEKLY FOREX RESERVES DATA 
    The central bank will release weekly forex reserves data 
(1200 GMT). 
     
    JOBLESS DATA 
    The Labour Office is expected to release September 
unemployment data. Slovakia's jobless rate hit a record low of 
9.85 percent in the previous month. 
     
    FINMIN--PREPARED TO CURB SPENDING FOR EURO 
    Slovak Finance Minister Jan Pociatek said on Thursday the 
government is prepared to restrict state spending if inflation 
accelerates and threatens the goal of adopting the euro in 2009. 
    [ID:nL12887977] [RTRS-EUR-BDT-GVD] 
     
    EU SOCIALISTS RAP SLOVAK PARTY OVER FAR-RIGHT TIES 
    The Socialist Group in the European Parliament has suspended 
moves to welcome in Slovakia's ruling SMER party because of its 
coalition with the far-right Slovak National Party (SNS), a 
group spokesman said on Thursday. 
    [ID:nL12934891] [RTRS-EU-DIP-POL] 
     
    LOCKHEED OFFERS NEW TRANSPORT PLANES TO SLOVAKIA 
    Lockheed Martin Corp. <LMT.N> has offered up to three C-130J 
Super Hercules transport aircraft to Slovakia, which is aiming 
to upgrade its ageing Soviet-era fleet, a company official said 
on Thursday. 
    [ID:nL12908179] [RTRS-EUROPE-AER] 
     
    AUG TRADE GAP SHRINKS TO SKK 4.4 BLN 
    Slovakia's foreign trade balance showed a deficit of 4.4 
billion crowns ($149.7 million) in August, compared with a 
revised gap of 6.6 billion crowns in July, the Statistics Office 
said on Thursday. 
    [ID:nL12475445] [RTRS-MCE-ECI] 
     
    PRESS DIGEST 
    ------------ 
    FICO SCORES AT HOME, LOSES ABROAD 
    The popularity of the government of Prime Minister Robert 
Fico is rising at home, but it is losing credit abroad due to the 
anti-market rhetoric and ties with the Nationalist in the ruling 
coalition, the daily Pravda reports. 
    Pravda, page 1 
     
    HEATING PRICES SEEN UP 5 PCT 
    Slovakia's heating prices for some households are expected 
to rise by a further 5 percent in January 2007, after the state 
regulator approved a 5-6 percent increase at the beginning of 
October, the daily Pravda reports. 
    Pravda, page 1 
     
    SMER LEADS IN POLL 
    The leftis Smer party of Prime Minister Robert Fico has 
maintained its lead in the opion polls in October, taking 36.2 
percent in a survey conducted by a private polling agency MVK, 
the daily Sme reports. 
    Sme, page 1  
     
    For an economic indicator diary for the euro zone, the ed 
States and other Group of Seven countries, see <G7TODAY>. For a 
diary of forthcoming Slovak events, double click [SK/DIARY], and 
for 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: reuters@editorial.sk 
    Reuters Messaging: martin.santa.reuters.com@reuters.net 
     
 For real-time index quotes, double click in brackets: 
 Warsaw WIG20 <.WIG20>  Budapest BUX <.BUX>  Prague PX50 <.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] 
 ((Bratislava Newsroom; Email: editorial@reuters.sk; 
+421-905-602-847))