Moreover, the region s economies stand to benefit from the improved transportation infrastructure. Such industries as tourism, important in the Caucasus in Soviet times, have been handicapped by the lack of an efficient transportation infrastructure. Improvements to the transportation infrastructure will enable such sectors to thrive, opening new trade and investment possibilities for U.S. businesses. Improved infrastructure should increase demand for transport of agricultural products, particularly cotton, soy, and wheat. Financing Multilateral development banks, governments, and private consortiums are important sources of financing for infrastructure projects.
Private consortiums are particularly important in the energy field.
Three U.S. Government agencies the U.S. Export-Import Bank, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, and the U.S. Trade and Development Agency are active in the region, having combined efforts by opening the Caspian Finance Center in Ankara. The World Bank currently is engaged in projects in Armenia and Georgia s transport sector, mostly roads. Projects extend to creating institutions necessary to adapt to a market economy and maintaining the transport infrastructure.