Slovakia - Factors To Watch on March 3

                                
 BRATISLAVA, March 3 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial
markets on Tuesday.
                                
 
                                
 SLOVAK TELEKOM RESULTS
                                
 Dominant fix-line operator Slovak Telekom, unit of Deutsche
Telekom, will publish 2008 financial results, 0900 GMT.
                                
 
                                
 GAS SUPPLY
                                
 Economy Ministry will meet gas distributor SPP and
electricity grid management company SEPS to debate crisis
scenarios with gas supply.
                                
 
                                
 JAN-FEB STATE BUDGET DEFICIT 185.1 MLN EUROS
                                
 The Slovak central state budget showed a deficit of 185.1
million euro ($233.1 million) for January and February, compared
with a 51.6 million euro surplus in the same period last year,
the Finance Ministry said on Monday.
                                
 [ID:nL221712] [RTRS-GVD-DBT-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 SLOVAKIA SELLS 369.6 MLN EUROS IN 4-YEAR BONDS
                                
 Slovakia sold 369.6 million euros ($465.5 million) worth of
four-year, 3.5 percent coupon state bonds in an auction on
Monday, the Finance Ministry's Debt and Liquidity Management
Agency said.
                                
 [ID:nPRG001286] [RTRS-GVD-DBT-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 PRESS DIGEST
                                
 ------------
                                
 PRIVATE PENSION FUNDS ON HIGHWAY PROJECTS
                                
 Private pension funds said were ready to help the government
of Prime Minister Robert Fico to finance highway projects via
their funds, adding 660 million euros were available in short
term. Fico is expected to meet funds' officials later on
Tuesday.
                                
 Sme, page 8
                                
 
                                
 RAILWAYS AID
                                
 Transport Minister Lubomir Vazny aims to provide a 70
million euro aid for Slovak Railways, which suffer from drop in
contract volumes of country's rail freight company ZSSK Cargo.
                                
 Sme, page 6
                                
 
                                
 SKYEUROPE PROFIT DROPS
                                
 Slovakia-based low-cost airline SkyEurope <SKYV.VI> posted a
net loss of 13.57 million euro in the last financial quarter to
December 2008, up from a 11.33 million gap in the same period in
2007. Revenues dropped to 52.83 million euro from 53.06 million
euro.
                                
 Pravda, page 35
                                
 
                                
 GAS SUPPLY
                                
 Slovakia is currently getting 100 percent of natural gas
deliveries from Russia. Russia threatened it could cut off
supply if Ukraine fails to pay its debts by March 8.
Pravda, page 35
                                
 
                                
 LOANS VOLUME FALLS
                                
 Volume of loans provided by Slovak banks fell by 54 percent
on the month to 779 million euros in January, compared with
1.717 billion euro in December, the central bank data showed.
Mortgages showed a major contribution to the drop.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 17
                                
 
                                
 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 [SK/DIARY], and a
calendar of east European economic indicators, see [CONV/DIARY].
                                
 News editor of the day: Peter Laca on +421 2 5341 8402; fax:
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 E-mail: editorial@reuters.sk
                                
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