Such factors as geographical location, available resources, workers' education and skills, and a country's pressing needs should figure into Government strategies for foreign direct investment.  As each country is different, the best package of policies for each will be different as well, participants said. 

The subject of this roundtable discussion at UNCTAD XII was "creating an institutional environment conducive to increased foreign investment and sustainable development."

"Every country has its strengths and weaknesses,” said Gamini Lakshman Peiris, Sri Lanka’s Minister for Export Development and International Trade, who opened the discussion.  The challenge is to maximize advantages and minimize drawbacks, he said.

He noted that the flow of investment into Sri Lanka had increased last year, despite the potentially negative impact of ethnic conflict, because the country had made use of its advantages in location and human resources to become a business gateway to South Asia.