Direct foreign investments by Greek companies in Bulgaria between January and September 2007 amounted to 231.5 million euro, Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) data showed.

For the same period in 2006, Greek companies had invested 190 million euro, Greek newspaper Imerisia said.

Greek investments accounted for 6.1 per cent of all direct foreign investments in Bulgaria over the first three quarters of 2007.

Greece ranks sixth among the biggest foreign investors in Bulgaria between January and December 2007. The UK, Belgium and Austria took the first three positions. Greece is the fourth biggest investor in the country for the period 1997-2007, Imerisia said as quoted by investor.bg.

According to the BNB data, total direct foreign investments in Bulgaria between January and December 2007 increased by 27 per cent to 3.8 billion euro, as compared to the same period in 2006. Direct foreign investments in Bulgaria in 2006 reached 4.4 billion euro. In 2007, they were expected to reach five billion euro.