Slovakia - Factors To Watch on Dec 22

                                
 BRATISLAVA, Dec 22 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial
markets on Monday.
                                
 
                                
 PM FICO MEETS CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION
                                
 Prime Minister Robert Fico will meet Slovakia Consumer
Association's officials to debate impacts of the euro adoption
on prices, 1300 GMT.
                                
 
                                
 C.BANK SAYS DOWNWARD RISKS TO CPI, GDP
                                
 Slovakia's central bank will most likely cut its 2009
inflation and growth forecasts due to downward risks on both
indicators from the global economic crisis, its central bank
said on Friday.
                                
 [ID:nLJ663348] [RTRS-CEN-INT-PLCY-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 JAN-OCT C/A SHOWS SKK 94.9 BLN DEFICIT
                                
 Slovakia's current account showed a preliminary deficit of
94.9 billion crowns ($4.38 billion) from January to October,
compared with a 74.41 billion gap in the same period last year,
the central bank said on Friday.
                                
 [ID:nPRG001168] [RTRS-CEN-TRD-ECI-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 END-SEPT FOREIGN DEBT RISES TO $53 BLN
                                
 Slovakia's gross foreign debt edged up to $53.045 billion at
the end of September from $52.823 billion at the end of August,
the central bank said on Friday.
                                
 [ID:nLJ625769] [RTRS-GVD-DBT-ECI-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 C.BANK FOREX RESERVES RISE TO $18.4 BLN
                                
 The Slovak central bank's (NBS) foreign currency reserves
increased to $18.442 billion as of Dec 17., from $17.282 billion
on Dec. 10, the bank said on Friday.
                                
 [ID:nLJ707581] [RTRS-CEN-FRX-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 PRESS DIGEST
                                
 ------------
                                
 HUNGARIAN MINORITY SCHOOL BOOKS
                                
 Junior government party, the Slovak National Party (SNS),
said will appeal to the Constitutional Court if parliament
breaks presidential veto on a law allowing to use Hungarian
geographical names in school books for Hungarian minority.
                                
 President Ivan Gasparovic vetoed the law last week.
                                
 Sme, page 1
                                
 
                                
 SPP PROMISSORY NOTE
                                
 Slovak gas firm Slovensky Plynarensky Priemysel (SPP), run
by GDF Suez <GSZ.PA> and E.ON <EONGn.DE>, has been ordered to
pay a promissory note worth 350 million crowns ($16.17 million)
to a Cyprus-based Stroden Management Limited.
                                
 Pravda, page 35
                                
 
                                
 Reuters has not verified the media reports, nor does it
vouch for their accuracy
                                
 
                                
 News editor of the day: Jan Lopatka on +421 2 5341 8402;
fax: +421 2 5341 8403
                                
 E-mail: editorial@reuters.sk,     RM:
martin.santa@thomsonreuters.com
                                
 
                                
 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]