Slovakia - Factors To Watch on April 23

                                
 BRATISLAVA, April 23 (Reuters) - Here are news stories,
press reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak
financial markets on Thursday.
                                
 
                                
 FICO SPEECHES
                                
 Prime Minister Robert Fico will address a meeting of trade
unions, 0900 GMT, and will speak at a meeting of the Slovak
Chamber of Trade and Industry, 1000 GMT.
                                
 
                                
 QUESTION HOUR
                                
 Prime Minister Robert Fico and government ministers will
answer queries from MPs during a regular question hour in
parliament, 1200 GMT.
                                
 
                                
 SLOVAKIA SAYS SEEKS BOND OF AT LEAST 1 BLN EUROS
                                
 Slovakia said on Wednesday it was seeking banks to arrange
an international bond of at least 1 billion in euros, the first
deal since the country adopted the common European currency this
year.
                                
 [ID:nLM514288] [RTRS-DBT-LOA-ISU-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 VOLKSWAGEN TO BUILD NEW SMALL FAMILY MODEL LINE IN SLOVAKIA
                                
 Volkswagen AG <VOWG.DE> Says to build New Small Family model
line in Bratislava, Slovakia.
                                
 [ID:nWEA7750] [RTRS-AUT-CARM-DE-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 PRESS DIGEST
                                
 ------------
                                
 MINISTER SURVIVES NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE
                                
 Regional Development Minister Igor Stefanov survived a
no-confidence vote in parliament on Wednesday. The opposition,
accusing Stefanov of mismanagement of a 120 million euro tender
related to handling the EU funds, failed to gain the needed
majority to dismiss him.
                                
 Pravda, page 8
                                
 
                                
 SAMSUNG PRODUCTION SHIFT
                                
 Electronics makers Samsung Electronics <005930.KS> said it
had moved part of its production from the Slovak factory to its
assembly plant in the neighbouring Hungary due to significant
weakening of the Hungary's forint against the euro.
                                
 Pravda, page 43
                                
 
                                
 ZELEZIARNE PODBREZOVA PRODUCTION DROP
                                
 Zeleziarne Podbrezova, Slovakia's second largest steel
maker, said its production fell by 40-45 percent, pushing sales
down by around half. The company said it had cut 25 percent of
jobs.
                                
 Pravda, page 43
                                
 
                                
 HOTELS SEEK LOWER VAT
                                
 The Slovak Association of Hotels and Restaurants has called
for a cut in the value added tax (VAT) in tourism services,
saying 20 percent of jobs have been already lost in the sector
due to worsening market conditions. The association said another
12,000-16,000 jobs were at risk.
                                
 Sme, page 8
                                
 
                                
 For news on upcoming events in the United States and other
Group  of Seven countries, see <G7TODAY>. For a diary of
forthcoming Slovak events, double click [SK/DIARY], and a
calendar of east European economic indicators, see [CONV/DIARY].
                                
 News editor of the day: Peter Laca on +421 5341 8402 fax:
+421 5341 8403
                                
 E-mail: editorial@reuters.sk, peter.laca@thomsonreuters.com
                                
 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]
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