The central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan barely register in terms of global FDI share, making the presence of the IFC in the region all the more important. The corporation's director of Europe and central Asia tells Michal Kaczmarski how the IFC is helping these former Soviet republics make their voices heard.

For years, Tajikistan's economy has been heavily reliant on remittances from Russia, with a severe lack of private investment from both foreign and domestic business. But while Western companies remain cautious about entering the country, the former Soviet republic's vast gold and silver deposits could yet provide a China-fuelled investment boom.

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.

Across central Asia, from China to Kazakhstan, economies are set to benefit from the re-opening of trade routes along the historic Silk Road. Significant investment has already been made to improve the infrastructure along the route, but further investment, more cohesion between the central Asian countries involved and more politically stability in the region as a whole is needed if this great passageway between Asia and Europe is to return to its former glory.