Slovakia - Factors To Watch on Jan 26

                                
 BRATISLAVA, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial
markets on Monday.
                                
 
                                
 T-BILL AUCTION
                                
 The finance ministry's Debt and Liquidity Management Agency
will auction 259-day treasury bills.
                                
 
                                
 SLOVAKIA MAY WIDEN FISCAL GAP TO TACKLE CRISIS-PM
                                
 Fresh euro zone member Slovakia may expand its fiscal
deficit as one way to tackle the global economic crisis, Slovak
Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Friday.
                                
 [ID:nLN660879] [RTRS-GVD-DBT-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 SLOVAKS PLAN GAS JOINT VENTURE, GAZPROM INTERESTED
                                
 Slovakia may set up a new joint venture with foreign
partners including Russia to secure gas supplies and serve as a
competitor to monopoly importer SPP, Prime Minister Robert Fico
said on Friday.
                                
 [ID:nLN4121] [RTRS-EXPL-ENR-OILG-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 SLOVAKS NAME BOSNIA PEACE ENVOY FOREIGN MINISTER
                                
 The top foreign peace envoy in Bosnia, Miroslav Lajcak, will
stand down to become the Slovak foreign minister, the Slovak
government said on Friday.
                                
 [ID:nLN380294] [RTRS-DIP-POL-EU-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 PRESS DIGEST
                                
 ------------
                                
 ECONOMY OUTLOOK
                                
 Finance Minister Jan Pociatek said the ministry's economic
growth forecast from November was no longer valid, adding the
ministry would release updated outlook in February.
                                
 Sme, page 2
                                
 
                                
 GAZPROM BLAMES KIEV FOR CRISIS
                                
 Gazprom's Deputy Chief Alexander Medvedev has blamed Ukraine
for causing the gas crisis. Medvedev expects gas prices to fall
in the second quarter, with annual average price for Europe at
$280 per 1000/cubic meters.
                                
 Sme, page 7
                                
 
                                
 STEEL MAKERS HIT BY CRISIS
                                
 Slovakia's two key steel makers are cutting jobs and numbers
of working days to tackle slowing demand and falling exports
caused by the global financial turmoil.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 1
                                
 
                                
 GRAIN PRICES FALL
                                
 Slovakia's grain prices fell by 40 percent since the
beginning of the year due to weak demand and better crops.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 1
                                
 
                                
 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>
 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]