EU proposes regional group on Middle Corridor

The European Union is considering setting up a quadrilateral working group to strengthen transport connectivity between East and West, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said.

Speaking at a press conference in Brussels, she proposed a regional platform made up of Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Armenia and the EU in response to a question from Report.az on how the EU plans to support development of the Middle Corridor.

Kos said the proposal builds on discussions launched at an EU ministerial meeting in Luxembourg in October and continued at the recent investment forum in Tashkent.

According to her, the idea is to integrate the TRIPP corridor into a broader connectivity framework by linking it more effectively with routes to both Europe and Asia.

“We are now discussing the creation of a special quadrilateral group with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Türkiye and Europe to identify the best way forward,” she said.

“We have just started this process, and I expect it to become more concrete soon.”

The commissioner stressed that the EU can play a substantial role in developing transport links in the South Caucasus and said this has become possible due to the improving climate between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

She added that she had requested a list of Armenia’s priority transport projects to ensure the EU’s support aligns with regional needs.

Kos said she recently returned from the Tashkent forum, where she proposed establishing a dedicated platform bringing together governments, international financial institutions and private companies to mobilise investment for new transport infrastructure. She noted that public funds alone would not be sufficient.

“One European company told me, ‘Build the infrastructure and we will do the business.’ They know how to operate and make profit, but they need the backbone infrastructure in place. That is precisely what we are aiming to facilitate now,” she said.

According to Kos, the focus is largely on diversifying the southern branch of the Trans-Caspian transport route and improving its reliability and capacity. She added that the EU is open to supporting projects that advance this goal.

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