Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on Jan 16

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NOVEMBER CURRENT ACCOUNT

November balance of payments statistics are due out at 10 a.m. (0900 GMT). The current account deficit is seen at 11.50 billion crowns ($538.1 million) , according to a Reuters poll of 12 analysts.

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INDUSTRY OUTPUT AND PRICES

Industrial output rose by a weaker than expected 7.6 percent year-on-year rate in November, from a downwardly revised 12.6 percent growth rate in the previous month.

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Industrial producer prices held steady in December from November, lifting the annual index (PPI) to 2.6 percent, a touch above the consensus market forecast.

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FOREIGN POLICY

President Vaclav Klaus meets Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, Deputy Prime Minister Alexandr Vondra and Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg at 10 a.m. (0900 GMT) to coordinate foreign policy.

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PM NEGOTIATING WITH OPPOSITION DEPUTIES

Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek met several leftist Social Democrat opposition MPs to negotiate the conditions under which they are willing to help his coalition government win Friday's confidence vote.

Topolanek's three-party coalition government was appointed last week and it must win a confidence vote on Jan. 19 in the lower house where it holds half of the 200 seats.

- For most recent news on Czech politics, double click on the code in brackets: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]

- For FACTBOX on key posts in the new government, double click on [ID:nL08820235].

- For FACTBOX on key points of the coalition agreement, see [ID:nL08658091].

CENTRAL BANKERS

Central bank (CNB) board member Mojmir Hampl poured cold water on the idea floated by a fellow CNB policymaker that interest rates could be cut to offset the strength of the crown.

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New Czech CNB board member Vladimir Tomsik joined other CNB policymakers to warn that a widening external deficit might weaken the crown.

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Overview of past economic data and market forecasts For Instant Views of key economic data click on [CZ/INSTANT] For summary of economic data and forecasts For diary of forthcoming Czech events [CZ/DIARY] For calendar of east European economic indicators [CONV/DIARY] TOP NEWS -- Emerging markets [TOP/EMRG] TOP NEWS -- Convergence watch [TOP/EAST]

For an economic indicator diary for the euro zone, the United States and other Group of Seven countries see

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News editor of the day: Alan Crosby on +420 224 190 477; fax: +420 224 229 935

E-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com

Reuters Messaging: alan.crosby.reuters.com@reuters.net

[PRAGUE/Reuters/Finance.cz]