Foreign investments in Russian economy declined significantly

According to the Ministry of Economic Development (MED) of Russia, foreign direct investment in Russia in 2009, according to preliminary estimates, fell by 38.4% - to 44.9 billion dollars. In 2008 this figure amounted to 72.9 billion dollars. Note that by the end of the last quarter of 2009, foreign direct investment in Russia amounted to 13.8 billion dollars, up 15% in the third quarter and a 16% increase from the fourth quarter of 2008 (11.9 billion dollars). Thus, in recent months, despite the annual decline, a positive tendency of growth of foreign investments. According to Vice Premier, Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin, the next two to three years to restore our country, foreign direct investment to the level of 60-70 billion dollars a year.