BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 13. The EU will
continue to provide support for the development of the
Trans-Caspian International Transport Route – the Middle Corridor,
an EU spokesperson told Trend.
“In January 2024, the EU hosted the Global Gateway Investors
Forum for EU-Central Asia Transport Connectivity, which gathered
around 600 government and private sector representatives from
Central Asia, EU Member States, and other countries along the
Corridor,” said the spokesperson. The forum also included
International Financial Institutions and a diverse range of global
partners. A key outcome was the June 2024 launch of a Coordination
Platform for the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor, established in
Astana and at the ministerial level in Turkmenistan on October
3.
Chaired by the EU, the platform “brings together relevant
Ministries in the countries along the corridor, as well as
International Financing Institutions and other key stakeholders,”
with the goal of “monitoring progress, facilitating investments,
and enhancing cooperation,” the EU spokesperson explained.
The EU’s commitment includes an investment of 10 billion euros
in sustainable transport connectivity in Central Asia, an effort
strengthened by various European and international partners,
according to the spokesperson. “As part of this investment, the EU
will support the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor through thematic
regional programs on transport, prosperity, and securing
connectivity in Central Asia,” totaling 75.4 million euros.
In addition, the EU will back infrastructure investments through
blending and loan guarantees under the European Fund for
Sustainable Development Plus.
The Middle Corridor is a trade and transportation route linking
Asia and Europe, passing through a number of regional countries as
an alternative to the traditional Northern and Southern
Corridors.
Beginning in China, the route crosses Central Asian countries
like Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, then traverses the
Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye before reaching
Europe. Offering a direct land route, the Middle Corridor connects
East Asia, including China, to Europe, providing a faster
alternative to longer maritime paths.
