Slovakia - Factors To Watch on Jan 8

                                
 BRATISLAVA, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial
markets on Thursday.
                                
 
                                
 EURO CEREMONY
                                
 European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet and
European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs Joaquin
Almunia will attend a ceremony marking Slovakia's entry to the
euro zone, 1900 GMT.
                                
 
                                
 GAS DISRUPTIONS
                                
 The government's crisis committee will meet to debate
situation with Russian gas supplies.
                                
 
                                
 CAR PLANTS TO HALT WORK DUE TO GAS CUTS
                                
 The Slovak-based factories of French carmaker PSA Peugeot
<PEUP.PA> and Korean Kia Motors <000270.KS> said they would stop
production on Thursday because gas supplies had been cut off in
the Russia-Ukraine dispute.
                                
 [ID:nL753422] [RTRS-NGS-CARM-POL-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 SLOVAKIA MAY USE NUCLEAR PLANT IF GAS STAYS OFF
                                
 Slovakia may restart a nuclear power plant unit it has shut
down to comply with the European Union accession agreement if
Russian gas supplies remain halted for a longer time, Prime
Minister Robert Fico said on Wednesday.
                                
 [ID:nL7623787] [RTRS-ELG-NGS-NUC-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 FIRMS CURB OUTPUT DUE TO GAS SUPPLY CUTS
                                
 U.S. Steel Corp. <X.N> reduced production at its plant in
the eastern Slovak town of Kosice on Wednesday due to a halt in
natural gas supplies from Russia, a company source said, and
other major firms have also cut output.
                                
 [ID:nL7126877] [RTRS-STEE-STL-NRG-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 PM SAYS SEES 2009 INFLATION BELOW 3 PCT
                                
 Slovakia's overall annual inflation rate should be less than
3 percent this year, Prime Minister Robert Fico said on
Wednesday, below the finance ministry's forecast of 3.9 percent.
                                
 [ID:nL7622077] [RTRS-MCE-ECI-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 GOVT SEES NO MAJOR ECON HIT FROM GAS CRISIS
                                
 The Slovak government does not expect a major negative
impact on the economy from a halt in supplies of Russian gas,
which has led to a reduction of gas deliveries to large
companies, a minister said on Wednesday.
                                
 [ID:nL7484838] [RTRS-NGS-ELG-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 PRESS DIGEST
                                
 ------------
                                
 NO MAJOR PRICE HIKES
                                
 A Statistics Office survey showed prices of 31 out of 73
monitored food items and fuels fell between Jan. 2 and Jan. 5.
The survey showed prices of 19 items were unchanged, while the
cost of 23 items had risen.
                                
 Sme, page 6
                                
 
                                
 CROWN WITHDRAWAL
                                
 The National Bank of Slovakia (NBS) said it had pulled out
crown banknotes and coins worth 11 billion crowns in the first
four days of the year, which accounts to 22 percent of all crown
liquidity at the end of 2008.
                                
 Sme, page 6
                                
 
                                
 FICO KEEPS POPULARITY LEAD
                                
 Prime Minister Robert Fico has maintained his lead in an
opinion poll of most trusted politicians, taking almost 40
percent in a poll conducted by the MVK agency. President Ivan
Gasparovic finished second, and Iveta Radicova of the opposition
SKDU party took the third place.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 5
                                
 
                                
 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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