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 Thursday.
                                
 
                                
 V4 FOREIGN MINISTERS MEET EU'S ASHTON
                                
 Foreign ministers from Slovakia, the Czech republic, Hungary
and Poland will meet with the European Union's foreign policy
chief Catherine Ashton and Germany's foreign minister Guido
Westerwelle. News conference scheduled for 1340 GMT.
                                
 
                                
 Q4, END-2010 ECONOMY GROWTH
                                
 The Statistics Office will publish final Q4 and full-year
2010 gross domestic product (GDP) growth data, 0800 GMT.
                                
 The flash estimate showed the heavily export-reliant economy
rose by 3.5 percent on the year in the fourth quarter, putting
the full-year growth at 4.0 percent.
                                
 
                                
 Q4, END-2010 REAL WAGE 
                                
 The Statistics Office will publish Q4 and full-year 2010
real average wage data, 0800 GMT.
                                
 
                                
 GERMANY'S WESTERWELLE VISITS VW'S SLOVAK  SITE
                                
 German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle to visit Slovak
assembly plant of German car maker Volkswagen, 1500 GMT.
                                
 
======================== ECONOMIC DATA ========================
  Real-time economic data releases....................<ECONSK>
  Previous stories on Slovak data.............[SK-RTRS-LEN-ECI]
  Overview of economic data and forecasts.......... <SK/ECON04>
======================== PRESS DIGEST =========================
                                
 
                                
 SLOVAK DOCTORS' STRIKE ALERT
                                
 Slovak doctors' union called for nationwide one-hour strikes
in the March-April period, inspired by similar actions in the
neighbouring Czech republic, seeking a higher wages.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 1
                                
 
                                
 BRATISLAVA AIRPORT
                                
 The government delayed decision on Bratislava airport until
mid-March. The transport ministry proposed to lease the airport
for up to 50 years, but Prime Minister Iveta Radicova asked to
consider privatisation or a strategic partnership with a foreign
investor.
                                
 Sme, page 1
                                
 
                                
 EU COMMISSION CHALLENGES SLOVAK HIGHWAYS PLANS
                                
 The European Commission challenged Slovakia's plans to
re-locate cash from the EU structural funds, aimed for science
and education, into highway projects. The transport ministry
could be forced to return to public-private partnership scheme.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 3
                                
 
                                
 GOVERNMENT SOFTENS MEDIA LAW
                                
 The government softened a media law to redress what critics
at home and abroad see as infringement of freedom of speech. The
amended law will limit the right of reply only to cases when the
published information is false, incorrect or incomplete.
                                
 Pravda, page 2
                                
 
                                
 Reuters has not verified the media reports, nor does it
vouch for their accuracy.
                                
 News editor of the day: Martin Santa on +421 905 602 845
fax: +421 5341 8403 e-mail: martin.santa@thomsonreuters.com,
martin.santa@thomsonreuters.com, Reuters Messaging:
matin.santa.reuters.com@reuters.net
                                
 
                                
 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]
                                
  
                                
 (Compiled by Martin Santa in Bratislava)