The foreign companies plan to invest 850 million euros in Romania in 18 huge projects, Sorin Vasilescu, the director of Foreign Investment Direction of the Romanian Center for the Promotion of Trade and Foreign Investments told a press conference on Tuesday.

'In the first six months of 2011 we have in our portfolio 18 investment projects currently being planned, with an all-in value of 850 million euros that should create 6,300 fresh jobs. Obviously not all the projects will materialize. We expect the projects to enter in our portfolio (the Centre runs as a 'sole desk' for foreign investors) and also other investment projects and we hope to be somewhat satisfied with the results by the end of the year,' Vasilescu said.

The domains of interest for foreign investors are the car industry and the auto parts industry, car constructions, the paper industry, the chemical industry.

Romania remained the leader in South-Eastern Europe when it comes to drawing foreign capital over the 2009-2010 period of economic crisis too, when foreign direct investments (FDI) have sharply plunged in the region.

Over the first five months of 2011, the FDI in Romania amounted to 800 million euros, funding the current account deficit in proportion of 44 percent.

In 2011 among the firms that launched new production capacities in Romania are listed the Shinheung South Korean company, producing parts for Samsung Hungary in Oradea (western Romania), an investment worth 30 million euros, Siliken Spain that produces solar panels in Timisoara (western Romania), Prio Foods Martifer at Lehliu Station, an investment standing at 93 million euros, the Texan firm Lufkin - 126 million euros, producing oil equipment in Ploiesti (southern Romania).