Slovakia - Factors To Watch on March 5

    BRATISLAVA, March 5 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press 
reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial 
markets on Monday. 
     
    STATE BOND AUCTION 
    The Debt and Liquidity Management Agency will auction 
7-year, 4.9 percent state bonds on behalf of the finance 
ministry. 
     
    PRESIDENT TO MEET DEFENCE MINISTER 
    President Ivan Gasparovic will meet Defence Minister 
Frantisek Kasicky. 
     
    BUSINESSES SLAM GOVT LABOUR CODE PLANS 
    Slovak businesses criticised on Friday a government plan to 
amend the labour code to give workers more protection, saying 
the proposed changes would undermine competitiveness of the EU 
member's economy. 
    [ID:nL02238616] [RTRS-POL-JOB-EMRG-SK] 
     
    C.BANK FOREX RESERVES RISE TO $14.1 BLN 
    The Slovak central bank's (NBS) foreign currency reserves 
rose to $14.081 billion as of Feb. 28, from $13.993 billion one 
week earlier, the bank said on Friday. 
    [ID:nL02199986] [RTRS-CEN-FRX-SK] 
     
    CROWN AT 1-WK HIGH, EYES REGION, GDP DATA 
    The Slovak crown firmed to a one-week high of 34.300 per 
euro on Friday as central European markets continued to recover 
from shaky ride early in the week, dealers said. 
    [IDLnL02316321] [RTRS-MMT-FRX-SK] 
     
    PRESS DIGEST 
    ------------ 
    THREE DEAD IN BLAST AT AMMO STORE 
    An explosion at the army ammunition store in western Slovak 
town of Novaky on Friday killed three people and wounded thirty. 
Five persons are still missing. 
    Pravda, page 2 
     
    DEFENCE MINISTER OFFERS RESIGNATION 
    Defence Minister Frantisek Kasicky has offered his 
resignation following the blast at an army ammunition store 
which killed at least three people. President Ivan Gasparovic, 
who has to decide whether to accept or reject the resignation, 
will meet Kasicky on Monday. 
    Sme, page 1 
     
    LEADERISHIP BATTLE AT CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATS 
    Former Interior Minister Vladimir Palko will contest Pavol 
Hrusovsky for the post of Chairman of Christian Democratic 
Party. 
    Pravda, page 8 
     
    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)) 
 ($1=26.08 Slovak Crown)