- Central and Eastern Europe: In an annual report on investment in the world, the UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) draws up the balance sheet of the situation in 2002, in the different regions. Thus, the foreign direct investment (FDI) entries reached a record amount of $29 billion in the Central and Eastern European region, a rise which is in stark contrast with the falls recorded in all the other regions of the world. FDI has progressed there by 15% compared to last year when it reached $25 billion. Investors now consider this region as a stable and promising destination in the context of a European continent about to integrate. Developments differ according to the country, however, with contributions having decreased in 10 of the 19 countries of the region. Investment has thus increased in countries that have known a wave of privatisations: the Czech Republic, which has a major increase with $9.3 billion invested in 2002 compared to 5.6 billion in 2001, Slovakia ($4 billion in 2002 compared to 1.6 billion in 2001) and Slovenia ($1.9 billion in 2002 compared to 0.5 billion in 2001). Lithuania is the last country of the region to have an increase with $0.7 billion in 2002 compared to 0.4 one year earlier. UNCTAD states that the geographic breakdown of FDI is beginning to change. If the Czech Republic keeps its relative importance, Hungary, Poland and the Federation of Russia sees theirs going down. Hungary, for example, which was fourth in 2001, ranks only eight among recipient countries. As far as FDI from CEECs is concerned, they improved in 2002 ($4 billion) after a fall in 2001, but remains clearly below FDI from abroad. The Federation of Russia remains the main driving force. The outlook for 2004 is optimistic thanks to the next integration into the EU of several countries.