Direct investments decrease

Direct investments in the first nine months of 2008 decreased by 16% compared with the same period in the previous year. Last year Georgia received USD 1.312 billion, this year USD 1.105 billion.

The downturn was most significant in the third quarter of the year. The Russian invasion negatively influenced the country’s investment image. If in the first half of 2008 the country received USD 1.5 billion in investments today the figure has decreased by approximately up to USD 0.5 billion.

Three countries lead the table of direct investors in Georgia. First is the United Arab Emirates, with USD 221 million, then The Netherlands with USD 199 million and then Turkey, with approximately USD 176 million.