Final Word from Wednesday, August 20, 2003
Thirty-five years after the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, it's now the Japanese who are invading.The Japanese were the No. 3 investors in the first quarter of this year, according to Czech National Bank figures, behind the Netherlands and the Netherlands Antilles and ahead of Austria, Germany and France. Of the $7.45bn in announced projects mediated by CzechInvest, the Japanese are the leaders, at $1.78bn, behind Germany's $1.64bn. CEO Martin Jahn of CzechInvest told F1 radio last month that when you understand the Japanese mentality, they become relatively predictable, stable, long-term partners who don't exaggerate their demands. On the lighter side, he said it's very important for top Japanese managers to have the chance to eat their national food. Fortunately, he said, Prague's selection of oriental cuisine has improved. Union Russia FDI