Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on Jan 23

                                
 PRAGUE, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial
markets on Friday:
                                
 ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 1 hour)

======================== ECONOMIC DATA ========================
                                
 Real-time economic data releases....................<ECONCZ>
                                
 Previous stories on Czech data.............[CZ-RTRS-LEN-ECI]
                                
 Overview of economic data and forecasts..........<CZ/ECON15>
                                
 Updates on Czech currency.............................[CZK/]
=========================== EVENTS =============================
                                
 LUHACOVICE, Czech Republic - Informal Meeting of Ministers
for Employment and Social Affairs. News conference at 1230 GMT.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-EU]
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - President Vaclav Klaus to swear in four new
government ministers at 1000 GMT.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - Deputy-Prime Minister Alexandr Vondra to meet
Serbian counterpart Bozidar Djelic. Press conference at 1230
GMT.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DIP]
                                
 
============================NEWS================================
                                
 AIRPORT SALE MAY BE DELAYED: The Czech government may
postpone the sale of Prague Airport because the financial crisis
has stripped potential bidders of funds, a Czech government
official said on Thursday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLM763741] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-AIR]
                                
 
                                
 CEE FX LOSE GAINS: Central European currencies gave up
earlier gains to ease on Thursday as risk aversion rose again on
global markets, while Serbia's central bank continued the
region's string of rate cuts.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLM565126] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
                                
 
                                
 EURO ENTRY AFTER 2013: Poland will not join the euro in
2012, as its government wants, due to serious political and
practical hurdles, but its ambition to do so will be met the
 year after, a Reuters poll of analysts showed on Thursday.
                                
 The poll also showed the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary,
Latvia and Lithuania also achieving full membership in 2013,
roughly in line with the last poll's findings. 
                                
 Story: [ID:nLAG003189] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
                                
 
                                
 PUTIN ACCEPTS INVITATION: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir
Putin has accepted an invitation to visit his Czech counterpart
Mirek Topolanek, the Czech government, which holds the European
Union Presidency, said in a statement on Thursday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLM24148] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DIP]
 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2009
 Czech Equities  <.PX>   767.8    767.8   +0.00       -100.00
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  27.990   27.390   -2.14         -5.32
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  21.556   21.035   -2.25        -15.57
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>   8,123    8,228   -1.28        -38.76
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500

=========================PRESS DIGEST==========================
                                
 GDP GROWTH: Czech Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek said he
expected the economy to slow faster than expected with 2009
growth between 1 percent to 2 percent.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 15
                                
 
                                
 CROWN HELPS: Czech central bank governing board member
Robert Holman said the crown's latest weakening boosts
competitiveness of Czech producers and works against an economic
contraction.
                                
 E15, strana 22
                                
 
                                
 POWER PRICES: Chief Executive of power group CEZ <CEZPsp.PR>
proposes that the government cuts VAT rate on electricity to 15
percent from 19 percent as part of an effort to mitigate the
impact of an economic crisis on end-users, the paper reports,
citing unnamed sources. Finance Minster Miroslav Kalousek
opposes the idea saying crisis measures should help boost
demand, consumption and employment.
                                
 Mlada Fronta Dnes, page A9

                                
 Reuters has not verified the media reports, nor does it
vouch for their accuracy.
                                
 
 For Instant Views of key economic data click on    [CZ/INSTANT]
 For summary of economic data and forecasts          <CZ/ECON01>
 For diary of forthcoming Czech events                [CZ/DIARY]
 For calendar of east European economic indicators  [CONV/DIARY]
 TOP NEWS -- Emerging markets                         [TOP/EMRG]
 TOP NEWS -- Convergence watch                        [TOP/EAST]

 For an economic indicator diary for the euro zone, the United
 States and other Group of Seven countries see         <G7TODAY>

 For real-time stock market index quotes click in brackets:
 Warsaw WIG20 <.WIG20>  Budapest BUX <.BUX>  Prague PX <.PX>

                                
 News editor of the day: Jan Lopatka on +420 224 190 474;
fax: +420 224 229 935
                                
 E-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com
                                
  (Compiled by Jana Mlcochova)