Slovakia - Factors To Watch on April 30

                                
 BRATISLAVA, April 30 (Reuters) - Here are news stories,
press reports and  events to watch which may affect Slovak
financial markets on Wednesday.
                                
 
                                
 GOVERNMENT MEETING
                                
 The government will hold a weekly meeting in the central
Slovak town of Prievidza, 0800 GMT.
                                
 
                                
 EU TO RECOMMEND SLOVAKIA JAN. 1, 2009 EURO ENTRY
                                
 The European Commission will give Slovakia the green light
next week to join the euro zone on Jan. 1, 2009, a draft
proposal from the European Union's executive arm showed on
Tuesday.
                                
 [ID:nL29842642] [RTRS-DIP-POL-PLCY-SK]
                                
 
                                
 CBANK HOLDS RATES BEFORE EURO VERDICT
                                
 The Slovak central bank left interest rates unchanged for a
12th consecutive month on Tuesday, a week before the European
Commission rules on whether the country is fit to adopt the euro
next year.
                                
 [ID:nL29841413] [RTRS-CEN-PLCY-INT-SK]
                                
 [ID:nPRG000776] [RTRS-CEN-PLCY-INT-SK]
                                
 
                                
 CBANK SAYS DID NOT VOTE ON RATES
                                
 Slovakia's central bank (NBS) did not vote on changing
interest rates on Tuesday, as no member of the policy-making
board had proposed to move borrowing costs, NBS Governor Ivan
Sramko said.
                                
 [ID:nL29301182] [RTRS-CEN-PLCY-INT-SK]
                                
 
                                
 SPP 2007 PROFIT FALLS, DIVIDEND SAME
                                
 Slovak natural gas group Slovensky Plynarensky Priemysel
(SPP) said on Tuesday its consolidated net profit fell to 19.1
billion crowns ($923.6 million) in 2007 from 25.1 billion a year
earlier.
                                
 [ID:nL29862186] [RTRS-GAS-NGS-UTIL-SK]
                                
 
                                
 JAN-FEB C/A SHOWS SKK 7.7 BLN SURPLUS
                                
 Slovakia's current account showed a preliminary surplus of
7.7 billion crowns ($371.8 million) in the January-February
period, compared with a 3.95 billion crown surplus in the same
period last year, the central bank said on Tuesday.
                                
 [ID:nL29894343] [RTRS-CEN-PLCY-TRD-ECI-SK]
                                
 
                                
 END-JAN FOREIGN DEBT DROPS TO $43.7 BLN
                                
 Slovakia's gross foreign debt edged down to $43.663 billion
at the end of January from $44.309 billion at the end of
December, the central bank (NBS) said on Tuesday.
                                
 [ID:nL29608171] [RTRS-PLCY-CEN-GVD-DBT-SK]
                                
 
                                
 C.BANK DRAINS SKK 145.8 BLN IN REPO TENDER
                                
 The Slovak central bank (NBS) accepted all bids in its
regular two-week repo tender on Tuesday, draining 145.749
billion crowns ($7.04 billion) from the market, NBS data showed.
                                
 [ID:nL29883564] [RTRS-CEN-PLCY-INT-FRX-SK]
                                
 
                                
 PRESS DIGEST
                                
 ------------
                                
 HIGHER GAS PRICES
                                
 Regulated gas prices for households might rise by 4 percent
in the summer due to record-high oil prices, which boosted
prices for Slovak gas group Slovensky Plynarensky Priemysel
(SPP) charged by Russia's Gazprom <GAZP.MM>.
                                
 Pravda, page 1
                                
 
                                
 NEW NATO AMBASSADOR
                                
 Frantisek Kasicky, former Defence Minister who stepped down
in January due mismanaged procurement tenders that could have
cost Slovakia tens of millions of dollars, will become new
ambassador to NATO, from May 5.
                                
 Pravda, page 4
                                
 
                                
 NAY EXPANSION
                                
 Slovakia's biggest electronics retailer NAY, which has 
reported revenues of 6 billion crowns ($289.7 million) in 2007,
will open its first site in the neighbouring Czech Republic in
the second half of the year.
                                
 Pravda, page 17
                                
 
                                
 Reuters has not verified the media reports, nor does it
vouch for their accuracy
                                
 
                                
 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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