Slovakia - Factors To Watch on Feb 25

                                
 BRATISLAVA, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial
markets on Monday.
                                
 
                                
 STATE BOND AUCTION
                                
 The finance ministry's Debt and Liquidity Management Agency
will auction 11-year, 5.3 percent state bond.
                                
 
                                
 OPPOSITION MEETING
                                
 Leaders of the three opposition parties will meet to debate
current political issues, 0800 GMT.
                                
 
                                
 ECON OUTLOOK KEY FOR EURO SWITCHOVER
                                
 Slovakia should seek to negotiate a switchover rate to the
euro that would reflect expected economic developments and help
to reduce inflation risks after euro zone entry, a central bank
vice-governor said.
                                
 [ID:nL22863215] [RTRS-EUR-FRX-MMT-INT-SK]
                                
 
                                
 CROWN UP ON CBANKER EURO CONVERSION COMMENT
                                
 The Slovak crown firmed against the euro on Friday after
central bank Vice Governor Martin Barto told Reuters the
conversion rate to the euro should reflect expected future and
not only past economic performance.
                                
 [ID:nL22554925] [RTRS-MMT-FRX-CEN-SK]
                                
 
                                
 CROWN EURO ENTRY RATE SEEN AT 32.75 PER EURO
                                
 Slovak crown's conversion rate to the euro is expected to be
32.75 per euro, according to the median forecast in a Reuters
poll of 17 analysts.
                                
 [ID:nL22799845] [RTRS-MMT-FRX-EUR-SK]
                                
 
                                
 C.BANK FOREX RESERVES RISE TO $19.1 BLN
                                
 The Slovak central bank's (NBS) foreign currency reserves
edged up to $19.120 billion as of Feb. 20, from $18.875 billion
a week ago, the bank said on Friday.
                                
 [ID:nL22665238] [RTRS-CEN-FRX-SK]
                                
 
                                
 PRESS DIGEST
                                
 ------------
                                
 FICO SLAMS PENSION FUNDS AGAIN
                                
 Prime Minister Robert Fico has repeated his criticism of
private pension funds, managing billions of crowns within the
private pension scheme. Fico likened the funds to the pyramid
schemes in which people lost billions of crowns of savings.
                                
 Sme, page 6
                                
 
                                
 SLOVANFT FAVOURS EURO ADOPTION
                                
 Slovakia's oil refiner Slovnaft <SNFT.BV>, a unit of
Hungary's MOL <MOLB.BU>, said the planned euro adoption would
eliminate negative exchange rate effects as well as the negative
impact of crown firming.
                                
 Pravda, page 11
                                
 
                                
 NEW POLITICAL PARTY 
                                
 Four former senior members of the Christian Democratic
Movements (KDH) said hey were considering forming a new
political party.
                                
 Sme, page 2
                                
 
                                
 EURO MAY BOOST FDI
                                
 The booming car industry has increased Slovakia's appeal to
foreign investors, and the planned euro adoption is expected to
make it even more attractive for foreign businesses, KPMG
<KPMG.UL> said in a research.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 17
                                
 
                                
 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 +421 905 602 847; fax:
+421 2 5341 8403
                                
 E-mail: Editorial@reuters.sk
                                
 Reuters Messaging: peter.laca.reuters.com@reuters.net
                                
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