TBILISI, DFWatch – A new report by the National Statistics Department says that direct foreign investments in the first quarter of 2012 was 55 percent higher than in the same period in 2011.

The total amount of direct foreign investments in the first quarter of 2012 was USD 269 million. This is 62 percent more than exact figures from the first quarter of 2010 and 55 percent more than preliminary data from the first quarter of 2011.

According to the report, direct investments in 2012 have come from 61 countries. In the same period last year it was 56 countries. On the top of the list of investor countries are Germany with USD 131 million, then comes Turkey – USD 32 million, UK – USD 27 million, followed by British Virgin Islands, Japan, Luxemburg and other countries.

In first quarter last year investments from Germany amounted to only USD 5.6 million, while Turkey invested USD 13.9 million.

This year, investments from Germany make up 49 percent of all direct foreign investments, Turkey accounts for 12 percent and the UK 10 percent, according to preliminary data.