The former Soviet republics that now make up the Commonwealth of Independent States have long been a fertile ground for German investors. This association is continuing to pay dividends, with German companies reaping the benefits of doing business in countries in which others in the West are more cautious about entering.

Michal Kaczmarski talks to Peru's finance minister, Luis Miguel Castilla, about the government's plans to pursue social inclusion, free trade agreements and the importance of maintaining an open market. 

Political turmoil in Romania brought about by austerity measures imposed as part of an IMF-backed aid package belie the fact that the country's economy is growing. However, there is a fear that the pervading pessimism in the country will put off would-be investors and stymie its recovery.

Recent discoveries of natural gas deposits off the coast of Mozambique have excited many notable names in the energy industry. However, as its president tells fDi, any company wishing to invest in the country will have to ensure that the benefits of any incoming wealth are felt at all levels of society.

The Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul will be one of the host regions of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and the state's governor is intending to use the event to show would-be investors that the region is the easiest in the country in which to do business.

Dogged by preconceptions of the region being a little more than a holiday retreat or a tax haven, investment promotion agencies in the Caribbean are focusing upon providing the best possible service to would-be investors – both large and small – in order to attract international businesses to their countries.