Slovakia - Factors To Watch on April 17

                                
 BRATISLAVA, April 17 (Reuters) - Here are news stories,
press reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak
financial markets on Thursday.
                                
 
                                
 FOREIGN POLICY
                                
 Ministry of Foreign Affairs will hold its annual conference
on 2007 activities at 0700 GMT.
                                
 
                                
 SNS NEWS CONFERENCE
                                
 The junior government party, the far-right SNS led by Jan
Slota, will hold a news conference on current political issues
at 0800 GMT.
                                
 
                                
 SLOVAKIA PASSES EURO ENTRY INFLATION TEST
                                
 Slovakia passed the inflation test for adopting the euro in
March, leaving an uncertain outlook for future price growth as
the single big obstacle in its bid to join the euro area next
year.
                                
 [ID:nL16339023] [RTRS-MCE-ECI-EUR-SK]
                                
 
                                
 MARCH EU-NORM CPI TOUCH ABOVE FORECAST
                                
 Slovak EU-norm consumer prices rose by 0.3 percent on the
month in March, putting the annual inflation rate at 3.6
percent, the Slovak Statistics Office said on Wednesday.
                                
 [ID:nL16435794] [RTRS-MCE-ECI-SK]
                                
 
                                
 PM: CAN SECURE STRONG BUDGET, LOW INFLATION
                                
 Slovakia can secure sustainable public finances and
inflation, Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Wednesday.
                                
 [ID:nPRG000751 [RTRS-GVD-DBT-POL-SK]
                                
 
                                
 POLICYMAKERS UPBEAT ON EURO CRITERIA
                                
 Slovakia will not fail the euro entry inflation criterion on
the ground that low price growth will not be sustainable,
central bank Governor Ivan Sramko said on Wednesday.
                                
 [ID:nPRG000750] [RTRS-EU-CEN-GVD-SK]
                                
 
                                
 C.BANK SAYS INFLATION TO SLOW IN APRIL
                                
 Slovakia's annual EU-norm inflation was almost in line with
the central bank's forecast and price growth will ease slightly
in April, the central bank (NBS) said on Wednesday.
                                
 [ID:nPRG000752] [RTRS-MCE-ECI-CEN-SK]
                                
 
                                
 Slovaks order more pigs slaughtered due to fever
                                
 Slovakia's State Veterinary and Food Office (SVPS) ordered
on Wednesday the slaughter of a further 11,200 pigs at farms in
the central part of the country infected with swine fever.
                                
 [ID:nL16410236] [RTRS-LIV-FOD-GRA-HEA-SK]
                                
 
                                
 PRESS DIGEST
                                
 ------------
                                
 SMER'S POPULARITY LEAD
                                
 Prime Minister Robrt Fico's Smer Party lost some support but
maintained a lead over the opposition in April, taking 40.5
percent in a Statistics Office opinion poll. It was Smer's third
decline in a row. The SDKU party of ex-Prime Minister Mikulas
Dzurinda came second with 15.1 percent.
                                
 Pravda, page 4
                                
 
                                
 SONY SLOVAKIA
                                
 Japan's Sony Corp <6758.T> is expected to produce 3 million
television sets at its Slovak plant in the central Slovak town
of Nitra this year.
                                
 Pravda, page 20
                                
 
                                
 MILK PRODUCTS
                                
 Falling prices of milk, to 11 crowns ($0.538) in April from
12 crown in January, are likely to push costs of milk and cheese
products down.
                                
 Sme, page 9
                                
 
                                
 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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