Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan review plan to expand Middle Corridor trade route

Presidents of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan have reviewed a new development plan for the Middle Corridor, a key trade route linking China to Europe via Central Asia and the South Caucasus.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev were presented with the “Development of the Middle Corridor” project during a briefing by officials on Tuesday, according to the Kazakh president’s office (Akorda).

The route, also known as the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, connects China and Central Asian countries to Europe through Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Türkiye.

Assel Zhanassova, advisor to President Tokayev, outlined a roadmap to improve infrastructure and logistics along the corridor. She said the main growth driver was the rising volume of shipments from China to Azerbaijan.

Currently, goods shipped from the Chinese border to Georgian ports via the corridor take 15 to 18 days in transit. Officials forecast that cargo volumes along the route will triple by 2030.

Tokayev and Aliyev were also briefed on initiatives aimed at improving competitiveness and efficiency, including digitalisation, port modernisation, and harmonisation of customs procedures.

The Middle Corridor has gained strategic importance amid shifting global supply chains and efforts to diversify trade routes.

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