BRATISLAVA, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial
markets on Wednesday.
EU TREATY
The parliament is expected to vote on the European Union's
reform treaty. Opposition has threatened to obstruct the vote,
which is expected after 1000 GMT.
GOVERNMENT MEETING
The government will hold a regular weekly meeting, 0900 GMT.
DEFENCE MINISTER RESIGNATION
Defence Minister Frantisek Kasicky will formally hand his
resignation to President Ivan Gasparovic, 0830 GMT.
OPPOSITION THREATENS TO BLOCK EU TREATY VOTE
Slovakia's opposition said on Tuesday it would obstruct a
planned vote on the European Union reform treaty unless the
government withdrew a media law criticised by Europe's human
rights and security watchdog.
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CBANK HOLDS RATES, SEES NO RISK TO EURO PLAN
The Slovak central bank left interest rates unchanged on
Tuesday for the ninth successive month and said it did not see
any risk that inflation would derail its plans to adopt the euro
in 2009.
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FINMIN UPS GDP GROWTH, INFLATION FORECASTS
The Slovak finance ministry has raised its real economic
growth projection for 2007 to 8.9 percent from a September
estimate of 8.8 percent, the ministry said in a quarterly update
of its economic estimates on Tuesday.
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TWO GROUPS TO COMPETE IN SLOVAKIA'S $2 BLN ROAD TENDER
Two consortia had qualified to take part in a tender to
build and operate a highway worth at least 49.1 billion crowns
($2.15 billion) in Slovakia, the country's transport ministry
said on Tuesday.
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JAN-NOV C/A GAP NARROWS TO SKK 80.1 BLN
Slovakia's current account showed a preliminary deficit of
80.1 billion crowns ($3.52 billion) in January-November,
compared with a 104.7 billion crown gap in the same period of
2006, the central bank said on Tuesday.
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END-OCT FOREIGN DEBT RISES TO $42.2 BLN
Slovakia's gross foreign debt edged up to $42.216 billion at
the end of October from $39.799 billion at the end of September,
the central bank (NBS) said on Tuesday.
[] []
PRESS DIGEST
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EC WARNS SLOVAKIA OVER EURO
The European Commission's (EC) report on Slovakia's euro
adoption process will be a warning to take tighter fiscal
policies in order to join the single currency area, a draft
report showed. The draft said planned highway projects were
among risky factors for inflation.
Sme, page 1
OPPOSITION SPLIT OVER EU TREATY
Several opposition deputies of the ethnic Hungarian SMK
party said they could vote with the coalition to help it approve
the European Union's reform treaty.
Sme, page 1
DEFENCE MINISTER
Deputy Defence Minister Jaroslav Baska will replace the
outgoing Defence Minister Frantisek Kasicky, who resigned over
mismanaged tenders that could have cost the state tens of
millions of dollars.
Pravda, page 1
BUSINESS CLIMATE SINKS
Slovakia's business sentiment in January showed a decline
approaching record lows from February 2006, driven by bearish
conditions and sour sentiment on European markets.
Hospodarske Noviny, page 1
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 [], and a
calendar of east European economic indicators, see [].
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:
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