Azernews.Az

By Aynur Jafarova

Turkmenistan was included in the list of the top ten countries on foreign direct investment (FDI) index in 2012, the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said in a report.

According to the World Investment Report, the volume of FDI in Turkmenistan accounts for 15.6 percent of the country's GDP. This is evidenced by the growth in investments, which, according to the macroeconomic performance of the Turkmen economy, has increased more than eight-fold in recent years. In 2012, FDI increased 38 percent compared to 2011.

Experts say the inflow of FDI depends on the economic situation in the country and forecasts of its economic stability for the medium term.

The International Monetary Fund predicts a 108-percent real GDP growth in Turkmenistan in 2013, which is supported by a flexible investment policy and successes in attracting large volumes of foreign investments.

Earlier, IMF Mission Chief Veronica Bacalu said that Turkmenistan's economy has maintained "high real growth rates" over the last several years.

"If we compare Turkmenistan to itself a decade ago we see a big change. GDP has increased five-fold during this decade. GDP per capita has tripled in the past decade and we forecast that the GDP will double over the next five years," Bacalu said.

Turkmenistan recently adopted the law on foreign investments, which defines the legal status of foreign investments and the forms of making foreign investments.