The amount of US direct investment in Bulgaria from 1992 to 2006 reached nearly $800 million, Foreign Minister Ivailo Kalfin said.

The US was the eighth biggest foreign investor in Bulgaria, Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) said. American AES was the biggest foreign investor in the country in 2006.

Bulgaria's export to the US reached $ 438.96 million, while US export to Bulgaria in 2006 reached $490.56 million.

US ambassador to Bulgaria John Beyrle said that he expected US investment in Bulgaria to raise in 2007.

Beyrle and Bulgarian ambassador to the US Elena Poptodorova would travel around the US in May 2007 to inform local businesses of possibilities for investment in Bulgaria, BNR said.

Energy, tourism, industry and high technologies were among the most attractive investment fields in Bulgaria.

On January 16 2007 during an official ceremony Kalfin and Beyrle exchanged ratification documents for changes to investment encouragement and mutual protection regulations.

Bulgaria's EU accession led to the amendments as Bulgaria had to harmonise all its bilateral investment contracts with the European legislation, BNR said.