The foreign direct investment (FDI) attracted to Moldova last year came to $679 million, up $140 million from 2007, Andrei Timus, the executive director of the Moldovan Export Promotion Organization (MIEPO), said during a meeting with representatives of embassies working in Chisinau, national businesspersons and foreign investors, Info-Prim Neo reports. Timus said that the Netherlands accounts for the largest part of the foreign direct investment flows into Moldova – 22%. It is followed by Cyprus, Russia and Germany. The largest part of the FDI comes from the EU member states. The executive director presented the calendar of promotional events that the MIEPO will organize this year. It is planned that the Moldovan companies will participate in nine international exhibitions. 50% of the costs will be covered from the Export Promotion Fund. There will be held 30 “Moldova Presents” events in Chisinau and in France, Germany, Italy, Czech Republic, Poland, the Baltic States and other countries. Andrei Timus also said that according to preliminary reports, the volume of FDI in Moldova in the first quarter of this year is larger than in the corresponding period last year. Besides large investments like the Czech investment in building a power plant in Ungheni, there were made offers of smaller investments, of up to 5 million euros, especially in free economic zones. An investment in production at the free economic zone Otaci is being negotiated these days.