Azerbaijan's Strategic Choice: The Middle Corridor Transforms into the Main Route of Eurasia

Azerbaijan was one of the first to bet on the Middle Corridor, and today the development of transport infrastructure on both sides of the Caspian confirms the correctness of this strategic choice.

As the newspaper "Caspian" writes, just a few years ago, the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) was perceived more as a promising alternative to traditional cargo delivery routes. Today, the situation has changed dramatically. The states of Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and China are actively investing in infrastructure development, and the Middle Corridor is becoming one of the most sought-after routes connecting East and West. At the same time, it was Azerbaijan that was among those who managed to assess the potential of the new direction in advance and prepare a modern transport base for it.

Investments are changing direction

Yet another confirmation that the Middle Corridor is entering a new stage of development has been the large-scale projects being implemented by Kazakhstan on the Caspian coast. This concerns the modernization of the port of Kuryk and the adjacent transport infrastructure.

Several major projects are in the spotlight at once. In Kuryk, the construction of a multifunctional terminal, a modern shipbuilding yard, and an aviation-logistics complex is planned. The investment in the shipbuilding enterprise alone is expected to exceed 267 million dollars. Civilian vessels will be built and repaired here, and specialized marine platforms will be produced, allowing up to eight new vessels to be launched annually and overhaul of several dozen more.

No less ambitious is the creation of a multimodal aviation-logistics hub in Aktau. The project will combine maritime, rail, road, and air transport, as well as aircraft maintenance services and specialist training. This will significantly increase the flexibility of the entire transport system of western Kazakhstan.

Of particular importance is the participation of Chinese capital. The company Guoyou Materials Group is investing approximately 1 billion dollars in the construction of a new terminal at the port of Kuryk. After completion of all phases, its capacity will reach approximately 25 million tons of cargo per year. In effect, this involves the creation of one of the largest logistics complexes on the eastern coast of the Caspian.

The Caspian is becoming the center of Eurasia

The growth in investment fully corresponds to the dynamics of transportation. In the first half of the year alone, the volume of transit cargo through Kazakhstan increased by 24%, reaching 21.7 million tons. Container shipments along the Aktau-Alat line continue to set new records, and rail routes from China in the European direction demonstrate steady growth.

These figures reflect a much more important trend. The Middle Corridor has definitively ceased to be viewed as a backup route. Today it