"We have mainly direct investment. Cyprus is in first place in terms of the amount of investment, Germany is second," said Valery Parfenyuk, who heads the ministry's foreign investment department.

Finland's biggest milk processor Valio is due to open a plant in the Moscow Region in April. France's largest pharmaceutical company Servier and tire producer Michelin are currently constructing new facilities, which are expected to start production in 2010.

In 2008, foreign investment into the Moscow Region reached $7 billion.