Slovakia - Factors To Watch on Feb 5

    Here are news stories, press 
repors and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial 
markets on Monday. 
     
    CENTRAL BANK NEWS CONFERENCE 
    The central bank will hold a news conference after a meeting 
of Governor Ivan Sramko with EU Commissioner Jan Figel, 10 a.m. 
(0900 GMT). 
     
    ECONOMY MINISTRY NEWS CONFERENCE 
    Economy Minister Lubomir Jahnatek will hold a news 
conference on the nuclear power plant Jaslovske Bohunice, 10.50 
(0950). 
     
    FINMIN TO AUCTION 3-YR, ZERO-COUPON STATE BOND 
    The Debt and Liquidity Management Agency will auction the 
first tranche of 3-year, zero coupon state bond on behalf of the 
finance ministry. 
     
    ORANGE RESULTS 
    The Slovak unit of mobile phone operator Orange will 
announce 2006 results, 10 a.m. (0900 GMT). 
     
    PM FICO VISITS CHINA 
    Prime Minister Robert Fico will start an official visit to 
China. 
     
    INFLATION SEEN SLOWING, RATES TO STAY ON HOLD 
    Slovak inflation is expected to have slowed to a 16-month 
low in January on lower energy prices, but analysts expect the 
central bank will keep rates unchanged in February, a Reuters 
poll showed on Friday. 
    [ID:nL02213014] [RTRS-ECI-PRE-SK] 
     
    SLOVAKS PULL SOLDIERS FROM IRAQ,PM SAYS WAR WRONG 
    Slovakia has pulled its troops 
out of Iraq, Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Friday, branding 
the war there "unjust and wrong". 
    [ID:nL02237730] [RTRS-POL-WAR-DIP-IQ-SK] 
     
    C.BANK FOREX RESERVES EDGE UP TO $14 BLN 
    The Slovak central bank's (NBS) foreign currency reserves 
edged up $14.005 to billion as of Jan. 31, from $13.995 billion 
one week earlier, the bank said on Friday. 
    [ID:nL02105789] [RTRS-CEN-FRX-SK] 
     
    GAS EXPLOSION KILLS 2, INJURES 13 IN SLOVAKIA-TV 
    A gas explosion wrecked a house and killed a mother and a 
child in the eastern Slovak town of Krompachy on Friday, 
all-news television channel TA3 reported. 
    [ID:nL02269808] [RTRS-EMRG-DIS-SK] 
     
    PRESS DIGEST 
    ------------ 
    GOV EYES TIGHTER GRIP OVER CHURCHES 
    The ruling coalition wants to introduce tighter control over 
small churches by increasing the threshold for a registration. 
However, the Attorney General has objected the already valid law 
as unconstitutional. 
    Sme, page 1 
     
    EU SLAMS SLOVAKS OVER FUNDS 
    The European Union (EU) has criticised Slovakia for 
insufficient capacities to administer the structural funds. The 
Union said Slovakia could loose money allocated for the 
2007-2013 programming period. 
    Pravda, page 1 
     
    SKY EUROPE TO BUY MORE NEW BOEING PLANES 
    Slovakia-based low cost airlines Sky Europe  has 
placed a new order for five Boeing planes, following a deal with 
Bank of Scotland. 
    Hospodarske Noviny, page 13 
     
    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: martin.dokoupil.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] 
 
 ((Compiled by Martin Santa; Bratislava Newsroom; Email: 
editorial@reuters.sk; +421-2-5341-8402)) 
  

[BRATISLAVA/Reuters/Finance.cz]