Slovakia - Factors To Watch on Feb 20

    Here are news stories, press 
reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial 
markets on Tuesday. 
     
    REPO TENDER 
    The central bank will hold its regular two-week repo tender 
to drain crown liquidity from the market. 
     
    JANUARY JOBLESS DATA 
    The National Labour Office will publish unemployment data 
for January, 9.30 a.m. (0830 GMT). 
     
    INDUSTRY CHAMBER ON EURO 
    The Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry will hold a news 
conference on euro adoption. 
     
    CROWN UP, CBANK REPO TENDER KEY FOR TREND 
    The Slovak crown firmed against the euro on Monday and 
dealers said a central bank repo tender on Tuesday will show 
whether the unit has more room to rise further to new record 
highs. 
    [ID:nL19664822] [RTRS-MMT-FRX-SK] 
     
    SLOVAKIA SELLS 19-YR BONDS, DEMAND WEAK 
    Slovakia sold 915 million crowns ($35.07 million) worth of 
19-year, 4.5 percent state 
bonds in an auction on Monday, the finance ministry's Debt and 
Liquidity Management Agency (ARDAL) said. 
    [ID:nL19233148] [RTRS-GVD-ISU-DBT-SK] 
     
    PRESS DIGEST 
    ------------ 
    NO PROGRESS IN TRANSPETROL BUYBACK 
    Bratislava and Moscow have made no progress in talks on 
Slovakia's purchase of the 49 percent stake in oil pipeline 
operator Transpetrol held by the stricken oil firm YUKOS, 
Economy Minister Lubomir Jahnatek said. 
    Pravda, page 9 
     
    EURO ADOPTION LAW 
    The government is expected to debate a general law on euro 
adoption in June. The law will be a key document on technical 
details and processes required for adoption of the single 
currency, which is planned for January 2009. 
    Pravda, page 9 
     
    FICO BANS TRAIN LINE CUTS 
    Prime Minister Robert Fico has stopped the planned cuts of 
several loss-making train lines. Transportation Minister Lubomir 
Vazny said the state-owned railway company must find other cost 
saving solution. 
    Pravda, page 1 
     
    AIR CONTROLLERS STRIKE 
    Air traffic controllers at the Bratislava airport are 
threatening to go on strike on Thursday if the airport does not 
meet their demands for better flights operations security and 
management changes. 
    Sme, page 6 
     
    GABCIKOVO DAM 
    The government wants to scrap the contract under which  
power maker Slovenske Elektrarne, owned by Italy's Enel 
, uses the hydro power plant Gabcikovo. Prime Minister 
Robert Fico has said the contract appeared to be invalid and 
unfavourable for Slovakia. 
    Hospodarske Noviny, page 1 
     
    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] 
 
 ((Compiled by Martin Santa; Bratislava Newsroom; Email: 
editorial@reuters.sk; +421-2-5341-8402)) 
  

[BRATISLAVA/Reuters/Finance.cz]