The amount of foreign investments in Bulgaria is expected to reach some USD 1 B by the end of 2003, the director of the Bulgarian Foreign Investments Agency Pavel Ezekiev said on Friday. He also explained that a total of USD 900 M foreign investments have been poured into Bulgaria's economy from the beginning of 2003.Ezekiev explained that the amount of attracted foreign investments over the first six months of the year reached a record-high level. Ezekiev also pointed out some of the major investors in Bulgaria such as Russia and Germany. Hungary is also among the major investors in Bulgaria, which over the first three months of 2003 reached USD 24.5 M. This ranked Hungary 17th among the foreign investors in Bulgaria. Following the sale of Bulgaria's last-state owned bank DSK to Hungary's National Savings and Commercial Bank (OTP) at a price of 311 M for 100 % stake, Hungary reached the first five major foreign investors in Bulgaria. Some 24 Bulgarian-Hungarian joint ventures work in different fields of Bulgaria's economy sector. 2002 trade exchange between the two countries reached USD 134.7 M.