Azernews.Az

Ulviyya Poladova

Read more

Amid growing geopolitical instability, rising risks to traditional trade routes, and businesses’ efforts to diversify supply chains, the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor) linking China, Central Asia, the South Caucasus, Türkiye, and Europe is gaining increasing strategic importance.

According to AzerNEWS, it was published by China's official Xinhua News Agency.

Azerbaijan, located at the intersection of the East-West and North-South transport corridors, views the Middle Corridor not only as a transit project but also as a tool for economic diversification, non-energy sector development, and strengthening its position in Eurasian logistics.

The article highlights that growing interest in the Middle Corridor is connected with changes in Eurasia’s transportation landscape. Previously, much of overland cargo traffic between Asia and Europe passed through Russia, while maritime routes relied heavily on the Suez Canal and the Strait of Malacca. However, the Ukraine crisis, tensions in the Middle East, and other geopolitical factors have encouraged international businesses to seek alternative routes.

The Middle Corridor starts in China and passes through Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, and Georgia before reaching Türkiye and Europe. Compared with traditional maritime routes, it offers shorter delivery times, while unlike the northern route through Russia, it is not affected by sanctions.

Highlighting Azerbaijan’s role in the corridor, Xinhua noted that the development of the route aligns with the country’s broader economic restructuring goals. Baku aims not only to benefit from transit revenues but also to expand income from ports, warehouses, logistics services, finance, and insurance, while encouraging the growth of processing industries.

The Baku International Sea Trade Port and the Alat Free Economic Zone are considered key elements of this strategy. Azerbaijan seeks to transform transit cargo flows into drivers of industrial development and investment.

According to the article, developing transport infrastructure remains a government priority. The Baku International Sea Trade Port currently has a handling capacity of 15 million tons of cargo and 100,000 TEU annually. After the completion of expansion projects, these figures could increase to 25 million tons and 500,000 TEU.

The article also highlighted the importance of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, describing it as a key component of the western section of the Middle Corridor. Following modernization completed in June 2026, the railway’s annual capacity increased from 1 million tons to 5 million tons.

Alongside infrastructure development, Azerbaijan is also focusing on improving the institutional framework of the route. The country is actively involved in coordinating the Middle Corridor, harmonizing tariff policies, transport documentation, customs procedures, and digital services, including the implementation of a single-window system.

Through these efforts, Azerbaijan aims to evolve from a geographic transit point into a functional logistics hub, becoming an organizer of transport processes and a service platform within Eurasia’s growing trade network.

The article notes that the future prospects of the Middle Corridor will depend on regional political developments, including the progress of the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace process, the Ukraine crisis, and the situation in the Middle East.

In the long term, the competitiveness of the route will depend not only on the scale of infrastructure investments but also on the ability of participating countries to coordinate their activities effectively. Azerbaijan is seeking to strengthen its position as a major transport and logistics hub on the western coast of the Caspian Sea and as a key link in Eurasia’s evolving transportation network.