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AzerNEWS Staff

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The US-Eurasia Transport Forum has been held in Los Angeles, jointly organised by the Consulates General of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Kazakhstan, with support from the California Foundation on Economic and Environmental Development (CFEE), and hosted by the Port of Long Beach.

As reported by AzerNEWS, citing Azertag, the forum was dedicated to strengthening strategic partnerships linking Eurasian transport corridors with US transport infrastructure.

The event brought together government representatives from Azerbaijan, Georgia and Kazakhstan, leading business executives, senior officials from the Port of Long Beach, California state representatives, international logistics specialists and prominent industry experts.

The forum was organised to expand cooperation between the United States and Azerbaijan, Georgia and Kazakhstan along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), commonly known as the Middle Corridor. Key objectives included introducing US partners to the infrastructure and development potential of the Middle Corridor, identifying new business opportunities for American companies in logistics, ports, railways, digital systems and green technologies, and expanding port-to-port cooperation between the Port of Long Beach and the ports of Baku, Aktau, Kuryk, Poti and Batumi.

The event also provided a platform for strengthening business-to-business (B2B) and government-to-business (G2B) dialogue between the United States and Eurasian countries, while exploring opportunities for cooperation in digitalisation, automation and smart logistics solutions. The broader aim is to establish the Middle Corridor as a reliable and diversified trade route capable of supporting US supply chain resilience objectives.

The opening session was moderated by former US Commercial Service official Douglas Wallace. Guests were welcomed by Noel Hacegaba, Chief Executive Officer of the Port of Long Beach, while Beryl Unver, Director of Global Protocol for the City of Long Beach, delivered greetings on behalf of the city. Opening remarks were also delivered by the Consuls General of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Kazakhstan.

The first panel discussion, titled “Transportation, Transit and Supply Chains: Government Perspectives”, was moderated by CFEE President Jay Hansen. Panellists included Elchin Allahverdiyev, Head of the Climate Diplomacy Department at Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tamar Loseliani, Deputy Minister of Economy of Georgia, and Zhanna Zholdasbekova, Director of the International Relations Department at Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport. The session concluded with a question-and-answer discussion.

Later in the day, participants heard from international logistics and customs regulations expert David Harlow.

The second panel, “Business Along the Corridor: Energy, Technology and Data Connectivity”, was moderated by Douglas Wallace. Central Eurasia expert Kamran Bokhari outlined the strategic significance of the trade route. Other speakers included Shahmar Hajiyev, Head of International Relations at Azerbaijan Railways (ADY), Lasha Abashidze, Chief Executive Officer of Georgian Railway, Yerkin Nigmetov, Director General of Kazakhstan’s Port of Kuryk, Hugh Hallman, Honorary Consul of Kazakhstan in Arizona, and international trade specialist Kenneth Wengrod. Discussions focused on regional connectivity, infrastructure investment, green port cooperation and strategic infrastructure partnerships.

At the conclusion of the forum, participants toured the Port of Long Beach, gaining first-hand insight into cargo-handling technologies, automated operations centres, security infrastructure and container storage facilities.

The US-Eurasia Transport Forum served as an important platform for discussing the Middle Corridor’s growing potential and the strategic integration of Eurasian transport networks with US Pacific coast port infrastructure. Building on the success of the US-Eurasia Energy and Environment Forum held in 2025, the Consulates General of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Kazakhstan plan to organise a US-Eurasia Innovation and Technology Forum next year, further contributing to the strengthening of Azerbaijan-US economic cooperation and broader regional partnerships.