Slovakia - Factors To Watch on Feb 2

                                
 BRATISLAVA, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial
markets on Monday.
                                
 
                                
 BOND AUCTION
                                
 The finance ministry's debt and liquidity management agency
(ARDAL) will auction 8-year, 4.2 percent coupon state bonds.
                                
 
                                
 COALITION MEETING
                                
 Leaders of the three ruling coalition parties will meet
ahead of a regular parliamentary session.
                                
 
                                
 CRISIS COMMITTEE
                                
 The government's Economic Crisis Council will hold a meeting
on anti-crisis measures.
                                
 
                                
 SMER BOARD MEETING
                                
 The policy-making board of Prime Minister Robert Fico's Smer
party will meet to debate current political and economic issues,
1700 GMT.
                                
 
                                
 EVENT RISKS TO FORE IN E.EUROPE AS CRISIS BITES
                                
 The combined weight of plummeting economies and rising
political discontent has banished the one-way convergence bet in
emerging Europe and investors are now treating the region more
like a traditional emerging market.
                                
 [ID:nLT737478] [RTRS-EMRG-POL-VOTE-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 PRESS DIGEST
                                
 ------------
                                
 GAS PRICES
                                
 Gas price in Slovakia will not change before April despite
lower cost of oil on the world markets, the state energy market
regulator (URSO) said. URSO also said the gas firm SPP could
have delivered more gas during the January crisis than it did.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 14
                                
 
                                
 CONSUMER LOANS, MOTRGAGES
                                
 Banks in Slovakia have started to lower interest rates on
consumer loans and mortgages following monetary policy easing by
the European Central Bank in the past few months.
                                
 Sme, page 1
                                
 
                                
 CZECH PM ON GAZPROM PROJECT
                                
 Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek said a gas
joint-venture between Russian Gazprom <GAZP.MM> and Slovakia
would not solve the country's full dependency on Russian natural
gas supplies.
                                
 Sme, page 2
                                
 
                                
 CONSTRUCTION OUTPUT TO SLOW
                                
 Slovakia's construction output could see stagnation or a
decline in the coming months, after nine years of boom, as the
sector is affected by the slowing economy. 
                                
 Sme, page 7
                                
 
                                
 Reuters has not verified the media reports and does not
vouch for their accuracy.
                                
 
                                
 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 2 5341 8402; fax:
+421 2 5341 8403
                                
 E-mail: editorial@reuters.sk
                                
 Reuters Messaging: peter.laca.reuters.com@reuters.net
                                
 For real-time index quotes, double click in brackets:
                                
 Warsaw WIG20 <.WIG20>  Budapest BUX <.BUX>  Prague PX50
<.PX50>
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