Telecom companies lead the way as France becomes No. 1 investor in Poland

France has become the biggest international investor in Poland, with investm ents that now total over $9 billion. According to figures from the Polish Fo reign Investment Agency (PAIZ), by the end of June 2001, $8.53 billion of fo reign capital brought into Poland had come from registered French companies. There are currently 81 French firms officially registered here, and in addit ion it is estimated that around 1,500 smaller companies from France have inv ested between $500 and $550 million in Poland. According to the French Chamb er of Commerce and Industry, Poland is now the main investment destination i n Central and Eastern Europe. Chamber officials said they believe that the F rench are poised for expansion on Poland's infrastructure market, mainly in road and rail transport. However, potential targets might also include real estate, the defense industry, and agriculture. For the time being, the bulk of French investment is concentrated on telecommunications, trade, services and industry. The leading French investors in Poland are France Telecom, Viv endi, Saint Gobain, Casino, Lafarge, Alstom and Thomson Multimedia. (Rzeczpo spolita, Oct. 13-14. p. B2) J.K.