Slovakia - Factors To Watch on Dec 17

                                
 BRATISLAVA, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial
markets on Friday.
                                
 
                                
 CURRENT ACCOUNT
                                
 The central bank will publish preliminary October current
account data, 0900 GMT. The Septemebr reading showed a 66
million euro deficit.
                                
 
                                
 SPP SAYS PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE GAS CRISIS
                                
 The main Slovak natural gas utility said on Thursday it was
well prepared for any restriction of natural gas supplies from
Russia, but added it did not expect any disruptions in shipments
this winter.
                                
 [ID:nLDE6BF18B] related news [RTRS-UTIM-ELG-NGS-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 NOV PRICES RISE IN LINE WITH F'CAST
                                
 Slovak EU-harmonised consumer prices rose 0.3 percent on the
month in November, in line with forecasts and keeping the annual
inflation rate at 1.0 percent for a second month in a row, the
Slovak statistics office said on Thursday.
                                
 
                                
 
======================== ECONOMIC DATA ========================
  Real-time economic data releases....................<ECONSK>
  Previous stories on Slovak data.............[SK-RTRS-LEN-ECI]
======================== PRESS DIGEST =========================
                                
 
                                
 PM RADICOVA SAYS ESM ALONE NOT ENOUGH TO CALM MARKETS
                                
 Slovak prime minister Iveta Radicova said, before a meeting
a meeting of EU leaders, that creation of the permanent European
Stabilisation Mechanism (ESM) alone will not be enough to tackle
the crisis and calm down markets.
                                
 Sme, page 11
                                
 
                                
 UNIONS BLOCKED OPPOSE LABOUR CODE CHANGES
                                
 Trade unions walked out from negotiations with the
government and employers, which seek to find conclusion over a
planned adjustment of the country' labour code, seeking a more
flexible labour market.
                                
 Hospodarske noviny, page 4

                                
 SLOVAKIA DROPS CLAIMS IN STRICKEN CO2 DEAL
                                
 Slovakia dropped its 15 million euro suit against a stricken
company Interblue Group, to which Slovaks sold 15 million tonnes
of carbon emission permits under the Kyoto Protocol. 
                                
 Radicova's cabinet accused a previous government of Robert
Fico of a mismanaged and un-favourable sale of permits, in which
Slovaks lost tens of millions of euro.
                                
 Sme, page 1
                                
 
                                
 Reuters has not verified the media reports, nor does it
vouch for their accuracy.
                                
 News editor of the day: Martin Santa on +421 905 602 845
fax: +421 5341 8403 e-mail: martin.santa@thomsonreuters.com,
martin.santa@thomsonreuters.com, Reuters Messaging:
matin.santa.reuters.com@reuters.net
                                
 
                                
 For real-time index quotes, double click in brackets:
Warsaw WIG20 <.WIG20>  Budapest BUX <.BUX>  Prague PX50 <.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)