Slovakia - Factors To Watch on Oct 12

    BRATISLAVA, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press 
reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial 
markets on Thursday. 
     
    AUGUST FOREIGN TRADE DATA 
    The Statistics Office will release August foreign trade 
data. The market forecasts a deficit of 2.4 billion crowns. 
(0700 GMT). 
     
    FINMIN NEWS CONFERENCE 
    Finance Minister Jan Pociatek will hold a news conference on 
the 2007 state budget draft, which was approved by the 
government on Wednesday (1200 GMT) 
     
    EX-PM DZURINDA TO HOLD NEWS CONFERENCE 
    Former Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda will hold a news 
conference on government activities (0800 GMT). 
     
    GOVT APPROVES BUDGET, EURO ENTRY ON TRACK 
    The Slovak government approved a 2007 draft budget with a 
lower deficit on Wednesday, keeping the country on track for 
adopting the euro in 2009 despite increased social spending. 
    [ID:nL11448286] [RTRS-GVD-DBT-MCE] 
     
    CROWN FIRMS TO NEW ALL-TIME HIGHS 
    The Slovak crown firmed to an all-time peak to the euro on 
Wednesday on more bullish regional sentiment and expectations 
the central bank will hike rates again this year to keep 
inflation in check. 
    [ID:nL11707552] [RTRS-MMT-FRX] 
     
    SEPT CPI BELOW FCAST, RATES STILL SEEN UP 
    Slovakia's inflation was below expectations in September as 
lower transportation prices helped offset an increase in cost of 
food, the Statistics Office data showed on Wednesday. 
    [ID:nL11705884] [RTRS-MCE-ECI] 
     
    ECON MINISTER SEES $1 BLN FDI IN '07-AGENCY 
    Foreign investment into Slovakia should reach roughly 30 
billion crowns ($1.02 billion) next year if the country goes 
ahead with all planned works, Economy Minister Lubomir Jahnatek 
was quoted as saying on Wednesday. 
    [ID:nL11797314] [RTRS-MCE-FRX] 
     
    PRESS DIGEST 
    ------------ 
    SMK LEADER OPPOSES FICO 
    Bela Bugar, the leader of the ethnic-Hungarian party SMK, 
said his party would not cooperate with Prime Minister Robert 
Fico's party SMER under any conditions, the daily Pravda 
reports. Bugar added SMK would welcome a revival of the 
centre-right bloc from the previous government, backed by 
Vladimir Meciar's HZDS. 
    Pravda, page 1 
     
    TRANSPETROL PROBLEMS 
    The government is having problems to meet its goal of buying 
back a 49 percent stake in the oil pipeline operating firm 
Transpetrol, the daily Sme reports. The cabinet aims to buy back 
the shares from Yukos Finance, a Dutch subsidiary of the 
stricken Russian oil firm YUKOS. 
    Sme, page 7 
     
    TEACHERS WAGE TO RISE 
    Education Minister Jan Mikolaj said he would raise teachers' 
wages to an average salary of 19,500 crown, effective from 
September 2007.  
    Hospodarske Noviny, page 2 
     
    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] 
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