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Ulviyya Poladova

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Kazakhstan’s Transport Minister Nurlan Sauranbayev, Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to Kazakhstan Alimirzamin Asgarov, and AZCON Holding representative Shahin Babayev have discussed prospects for bilateral cooperation at a meeting in Astana.

Accoding to the Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport, the parties reviewed the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor) and the implementation of the Caspian Bridge project.

Under the project, ferries will serve as an extension of the railway infrastructure, allowing railcars to be transported across the Caspian Sea without unloading their cargo. The project aims to guarantee the transportation of 8 million tonnes of cargo annually, with plans to increase capacity to 10-12 million tonnes in the future.

During the Azerbaijani delegation’s visit, Samruk-Kazyna JSC and AZCON Holding signed an agreement on cooperation in the development and implementation of the project.

In addition, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy and Azerbaijan Railways CJSC signed a Term Sheet outlining the key terms for establishing a joint intermodal cargo terminal at the Port of Alat.

The discussions also covered the development of a joint terminal network, industrial cooperation in locomotive and shipbuilding, tariff policy, and measures to reduce cargo delivery times to Europe.

Following the meeting, the parties emphasized that relations between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are built on a solid foundation of mutual trust. Both countries share the goal of making the transport corridor across the Caspian Sea more reliable and efficient.

The Middle Corridor is a transport and trade route connecting Asia and Europe through several countries in the region. It serves as an alternative to the traditional Northern and Southern corridors.

The route starts in China, passes through Central Asian countries, including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, crosses the Caspian Sea, and continues through Azerbaijan, Georgia and Türkiye towards Europe. It provides a land-based connection between eastern Asia, including China, and Europe, offering an alternative to longer maritime routes.