Slovakia - Factors To Watch on Jan 18

                                
 BRATISLAVA, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial
markets on Friday.
                                
 
                                
 C.BANK CHIEF ON EURO
                                
 Central Bank Governor Ivan Sramko will address an economic
conference on euro adoption, 0830 GMT.
                                
 
                                
 POLISH PM IN SLOVAKIA
                                
 Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk will visit Slovakia. News
conference with Prime Minister Rober Fico scheduled for 1020
GMT.
                                
 
                                
 C.BANK FOREX RESERVES
                                
 The central bank will release its weekly foreign currency
reserves data, 1300 GMT.
                                
 
                                
 HEALTH INSURERS
                                
 Prime Minister Robert Fico and Healthcare Minister Ivan
Valentovic will hold a news conference on health insurers'
lawsuits, 0830 GMT.
                                
 
                                
 CHANCES DECLINE FOR SLOVAK EUROBOND IN Q1
                                
 Chances that Slovakia will issue a eurobond worth 1 billion
euros in the first quarter have dropped due to global financial
turmoil, but the plan is still on the table, the finance
ministry's Debt and Liquidity Management Agency said.
                                
 [ID:nL17259207] [RTRS-ISU-EUB-GVD-DBT-SK]
                                
 
                                
 SLOVAKS SIGN FDI DEALS WORTH 1.28 BLN EURO IN 2007
                                
 Slovakia sealed foreign direct investment projects worth
1.28 billion euros in 2007, doubling the volume from the
previous year, the government foreign investment agency SARIO
said on Thursday.
                                
 [ID:nL17668874] [ RTRS-FRX-MCE-CEEU-SK]
                                
 
                                
 HEALTH INSURERS CONSIDER LAWSUITS AGAINST SLOVAKIA
                                
 Owners of Slovak private health insurers are considering
lawsuits to defend their investments in the country after a new
law banned the companies from keeping profits, officials said on
Thursday.
                                
 [ID:nL17206689] [RTRS-JUDIC-HEA-POL-SK]
                                
 
                                
 SLOVAKIA SAYS IN TALKS TO BUY BACK PIPELINE STAKE
                                
 The Slovak government has opened talks to buy back a 49
percent stake in the oil pipeline operator Transpetrol, which
was owned by the bankrupt Russian oil company YUKOS, a spokesman
said on Thursday.
                                
 [ID:nL1754576] [RTRS-CRU-JUDIC-OIL-SK

                                
 
                                
 PRESS DIGEST
                                
 ------------
                                
 NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION
                                
 Opposition parties have submitted a no-confidence motion
against Prime Minister Robert Fico to parliament. The opposition
wants to dismiss Fico for his attacks on media and opposition.
The opposition lacks votes to sack the prime minister.
                                
 Sme, page 2
                                
 
                                
 HIGHER HEATING PRICES
                                
 Twenty out of 40 heating companies have requested the state
regulator to approve a 7 percent increase of heating prices from
February due to higher gas prices charged by the gas monopoly
SPP. The regulator approved a 0.4 percent hike in December.
                                
 Pravda, page 6
                                
 
                                
 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:
+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:
 Warsaw WIG20 <.WIG20>  Budapest BUX <.BUX>  Prague PX50 <.PX50>
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