Slovakia - Factors To Watch on Feb 14

                                
 BRATISLAVA, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial
markets on Thursday.
                                
 
                                
 Q4 GDP FLASH ESTIMATE
                                
 The Statistics Office will publish flash estimate of gross
domestic product (GDP) for the fourth quarter and full-year
2007, 0800 GMT. The market forecast economic growth of 8.9
percent, year-on-year, in the fourth quarter. Full-year GDP
growth was seen at 9.0 percent.
                                
 
                                
 QUESTION HOUR
                                
 Government ministers will answer queries from MPs during a
regular parliamentary question hour, 1300 GMT.
                                
 
                                
 PM SEES MORE FISCAL IMPROVEMENT AS EURO LOOMS
                                
 The Slovak government aims to cut the fiscal deficit below
target this year, Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Wednesday,
a move seen as designed to boost the country's chances of
adopting the euro in 2009.
                                
 [ID:nL13896934] [RTRS-EUR-POL-GVD-DBT-SK]
                                
 
                                
 CROWN FIRMS TO 3-MONTH PEAK VS EURO
                                
 The Slovak crown climbed to a three-month peak against the
euro on Wednesday, helped by players' bets on possible
revaluation of its euro peg and positive sentiment in central
Europe, dealers said.
                                
 [ID:nL13927448] [RTRS-MMT-FRX-EUR-SK]
                                
 
                                
 SLOVAKS SEIZE COCAINE WORTH $72 MLN HIDDEN IN WINE BOTTLES
                                
 Slovak customs snatched a bumper shipment of cocaine from
South America worth 1.64 billion crowns ($72 million), hidden in
hundreds of wine bottles, customs and police officials said on
Wednesday.
                                
 [ID:nL13913146] [RTRS-CRIM-EUROPE-SK]
                                
 
                                
 PRESS DIGEST
                                
 ------------
                                
 PM FICO CANCELS LUXEMBOURG VISIT
                                
 Prime Minister Robert Fico has cancelled a visit to
Luxembourg due to illness. Fico was scheduled to meet Luxembourg
Prime Minister and Eurogroup Chairman Jean-Claude Juncker on
Thursday.
                                
  Pravda, page 4
                                
 
                                
 PROPERTY PRICES RISE
                                
 Real estate prices in Slovakia rose on average by 32.5
percent on the year in the fourth quarter of 2007.
                                
 Pravda, page 6
                                
 
                                
 PPP ADVISOR
                                
 The transport ministry has picked law firms Jaroslav Ruzicka
and CMS Cameron McKenna as advisor for the planned highway
projects through public-private partnership. The ministry is
epxetced to pay some 400 million crowns ($17.59 million) in fees
to the advisors. The PPP projects are worth tens of billions of
crowns.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 6
                                
 
                                
 For news on upcoming events in the United States and other
Group  of Seven countries, see <G7TODAY>. 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 <.WIG20>  Budapest BUX <.BUX>  Prague PX50 <.PX50>
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