Slovakia - Factors To Watch on Feb 25

                                
 BRATISLAVA, Feb 25  (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial
markets on Thursday.
                                
 
                                
 GOVERNMENT MEETING
                                
 Government will hold its regular weekly meeting, no major
economic items on agenda, 1030 GMT.
                                
 
                                
 PM ROBERT FICO MEETS EMPLOYERS
                                
 Prime Minister Robert Fico will address a meeting of the
Slovak Employers' Association, 1030 GMT.
                                
 
                                
 DEC CURRENT ACCOUNT IN 494 MLN EURO DEFICIT
                                
 Slovakia's current account showed a preliminary deficit of
494 million euros ($671.1 million) in December, compared with a
revised gap of 175 million euros in November, the central bank
said on Wednesday.
                                
 [ID:nPRG003945] related news [RTRS-MMT-CEN-MCE-EMRG]
                                
 
                                
 KIA TO BOOST OUTPUT IN SLOVAKIA BY 40 PCT IN 2010
                                
 South Korean carmaker Kia Motors Corp <000270.KS> will boost
car production in Slovakia by 40 percent this year, driven
mainly by rising demand in the SUV market, the company's Slovak
unit said on Wednesday.
                                
 [ID:nPRG003948] related news [RTRS-KR-AUT-SK-TRD]
                                
 
                                
 SLOVAK RAIL FREIGHT LOAN UNDER EU SCRUTINY
                                
 European Union competition regulators are investigating
whether a 166 million euro ($225.5 million) loan granted by
Slovakian authorities to a local rail freight company gives the
firm an unfair advantage over rivals.
                                
 [ID:nBRQ009743] related news [RTRS-EU-REGS-EUROPE-SK]
                                
 
========================= PRESS DIGEST =========================
                                
 
                                
 SDKU ADMITS ACCOUNTING INCONSISTENCIES
                                
 The strongest opposition party SDKU, led by ex-Prime
Minister Mikulas Dzurinda who pulled out from the June election,
identified a 66,000 euro worth of accounting inconsistencies and
accused on of its accountants of a fraud.
                                
 Sme, page 1
                                
 
                                
 DZURINDA NOT CANDIDATE FOR PRIME MINISTER
                                
 SDKU leader  Mikulas Dzurinda would not run for the post of
the Prime Minister, in case his party would be invited to form a
government after an election in June, Ivan Miklos, SDKU
vice-chairman and former finance minister said.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 2
                                
 
                                
 MINER NWR REITERATES INTEREST IN POLISH MINES
                                
 Czech coal miner New World Resources (NWR) <NWRS.L> was
interested in acquisitions in Poland, if the Polish government
decide to privatise parts of its mining sector, NWR's Zdenek
Bakala said.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 13
                                
 
News editor of the day: Martin Santa on +421 2 5341 8402 fax:
+421 5341 8403 
E-mail: martin.santa@thomsonreuters.com, editorial@reuters.sk,
Reuters Messaging: martin.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)