Investors can also seek financing through the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the single largest investor in the region, its business group director for infrastructure Thomas Maier said.

"Many of our clients in Kazakhstan and Russia are looking to the experience here in infrastructure growth as well as public transportation and airport operations," he said at a media briefing before attending a roundtable meeting with various companies and organisations in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Maier said EBRD can provide long term finance and also be an equity partner for companies that want to set up long term operations.

Central and Eastern Europe, including the former Soviets Union Republics, are said to offer potential growth in energy, petroleum, infrastructure, trade, transportation, agriculture and communications.

EBRD’s countries of operation range from Albania, Bosnia Hungary, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Serbia to Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

Owned by 62 countries and two inter-governmental institutions, EBRD mobilises significant foreign direct investment beyond its own financing. It invests mainly in private enterprises and usually together with commercial partners.

One of its main programmes in Central and Eastern Europe is a trade facilitation programme that provides funding assurances for foreign trade, which can cover up to 100 per cent of intra-trade volume.

It also extends short term loans to exporters and importers via a number of local banks in countries that lie within the scope of the bank activities.

The bank has also been receiving support from the Asian region. Last year it signed an agreement with IE of Singapore to fund a feasibility study for a Mass Rail Transit (MRT) to Kazakhstan.

The roundtable meeting with EBRD was attended by representatives from, among others, Selia Group, Professional Services Development Corporation, Muhibbah Engineering (M) Bhd, Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM), Construction Industry Development Board, DRB-Hicom Bhd and UEM Group Bhd.