BRATISLAVA, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial markets on Friday.
JANAUARY JOBLESS
The National Labour Office will publish January unemployment data, 1000 GMT.
FICO WITH UNIONS ON CRISIS
Prime Minister Robert Fico will sign a memorandum with the Confederation of Trade Unions on measures against impacts of the crisis, 0900 GMT.
SLOVAK SPP MOVES AHEAD ON ALTERNATIVE GAS SUPPLY
Slovak gas firm SPP said on Thursday it had signed preliminary deals on gas supplies for Slovakia in case flows from Russia stop as they did during the Russia-Ukraine dispute last month.
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CENTRAL EUROPE LEADERS MEET BEFORE EU SUMMIT
Leaders of European Union countries from central and eastern Europe will meet on March 1 to find common ground ahead of the bloc's emergency summit on the same day, diplomats said on Thursday.
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PRESS DIGEST
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EU FUNDS FOR SLOVAK ROADS
The European Commission, the European Union's executive body, has approved a grant of 263.5 million euros to co-finance Slovak road and highway construction.
Sme, page 8
HIGHWAY COSTS
The total cost of the planned highway projects, to be financed via public-private partnership scheme, should be between around 7.5-8.0 billion euro. The transport ministry and finance ministry both declined to comment on the estimate.
Pravda, page 6
VW'S NEW MODEL
Germany's car maker Volkswagen is deciding which of its assembly plants will start production of a new small family car, the unions at Volkswagen's Slovak plant said. Pravda, page 10
U.S. STEEL CUTS PRODUCTION IN SLOVAKIA
United States Steel Corp <X.N> has cut production at its Slovak factory by 50 percent, the factory's unions said. The unions said the company expected production to rise again in the second half of the year after its customers use all of the current inventories.
Prada, page 46
INVESTMENT FUNDS
Withdrawals from Slovak investment funds exceeded new deposits by 121.8 million euros in the first six-weeks of the year as clients preferred traditional banks deposits.
Sme, page 1
SKYEUROPE FLEET
The Slovak-based low-cost airline SkyEurope <SKYV.VI> said it would add seven Boeing 737 airplanes to its fleet by end-April. The planes are 16-year old on average.
Sme, page 8
Reuters has not verified the media reports and does not vouch for their accuracy.
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