Czech agency attracted $2B in investments

A government-sponsored agency said Thursday it attracted investments worth over $2 billion in the Czech Republic last year. CzechInvest said in 2004 it concluded deals with foreign and local companies to set up 145 operations worth 50 billion koruna ($2.16 billion) in the country. "Thanks to these investments, at least 20,000 new jobs will be created in the Czech Republic over the next few years," the agency said. German companies were the strongest foreign investors in the Czech Republic in 2004, as in previous years, the agency said.