BRATISLAVA, April 4 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial markets on Friday.
PARLIAMENT SESSIONS
The parliament will continue its regular monthly session, 0700 GMT. Deputies may open the second reading on the disputed draft media law.
FOREX RESERVES
The central bank will release its weekly foreign currency reserves data, 1200 GMT.
EU TAKES WAVE OF LEGAL ACTION AGAINST STATES
The European Commission started an array of legal actions against European Union countries on Thursday which include asking Italy to comply with an EU court ruling on the award of concessions for horse-race betting services.
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GOVT EYES 4.3 BLN EURO BROAD-GAUGE RAILWAYS
Slovakia expects to start building broad-gauge railways worth more than 4.3 billion euros across its territory in 2010 to speed up the transport of Russian goods to the West, Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Thursday.
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PRESS DIGEST
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EURO CRITERIA
Pervenche Beres, the Chairwoman of the European Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, confirmed that Slovakia is meeting euro adoption criteria, and that the debate on its euro adoption bid now focuses on fulfillment of conditions in a sustainable manner.
Sme, page 6
PRICE WATCH
The government and municipalities will launch in June a watch system monitoring development of prices of goods and services before the planned 2009 euro adoption. The government wants to prevent unjustified price increases.
Pravda, page 1
MEDIA BILL
Prime Minister Robert Fico has reiterated that the ruling coalition will not make any further major changes to the criticised draft media law before deputies vote on the bill.
Sme, page 1
MEDICAL FEES
In a report initiated by the finance ministry, The World Bank has recommended reinstallation of fees for doctor visits, reduction of spending on drugs, closure of loss making-making hospitals and transformation of hospitals into joint-stock companies.
Sme, page 8
ROAD TOLL TENDER
A consortium led by Italy's Autostrade <AUMI.MI> might win the tender for a builder and operator of the new road toll system with the lowest bid of 19 billion crowns ($913 million), a leaked report showed.
Pravda, page 18
HILTON HOTEL
Hilton Hotels Corp, owned by Blackstone Group <BX.N>, has signed a franchise contract with Slovak private equity group J&T to run its first hotel in the eastern Slovak town of Kosice.
Hospodarske Noviny, page 9
News editor of the day: Peter Laca, +421 2 5341 8402; fax +421 2 5341 8403
E-mail: editorial@reuters.sk
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