Fresh look at Kazakhstan’s pushes to develop Middle Corridor in 2023
The Middle Corridor is a transportation and trade route that connects Asia and Europe, passing through several countries in the region. It is an alternative route to the traditional Northern Corridor and Southern Corridor. The route starts in China and crosses Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. It then passes through the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye before reaching Europe. The Middle Corridor offers a land route that connects the eastern parts of Asia, including China, with Europe, bypassing the longer maritime routes.
Kazakhstan is working to develop its section of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR, or Middle Corridor), Trend reports.
According to official figures, 2.5 million tons of goods were transshipped through the seaports of Aktau and Kuryk along the TITR route in 11 months of 2023, a 107 percent increase over the previous year.
In 2023, Kazakh oil was carried along the Middle Corridor for the first time.
Simultaneously, in order to develop the line, the railway administrations of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Georgia signed component articles in October 2023 to establish a single operator of logistical services. In addition, the countries, in collaboration with Turkey, are trying to remove bottlenecks on the road at the same time.
The subject of having a "single window" for transportation via TITR is being examined in order to improve logistics services. The digital transportation corridor's complete launch is scheduled for 2024.
In addition, in October 2023, Kazakhstan signed agreements on the development of the Middle Corridor with China, which provide for increasing export-import and transit transportation, China's assistance in financing port infrastructure projects, the development of multimodal transport along the TITR, etc.
Moreover, in order to reduce the delivery time of goods by road to the ports of Aktau and Kuryk, Kazakhstan plans to build a 515-km-long Shalkar-Beyneu highway. A feasibility study is currently being developed.
The implementation of measures to develop the route will allow it to increase its throughput capacity to 10 million tons per year by 2027.
The Middle Corridor is a transportation and trade route that connects Asia and Europe, passing through several countries in the region. It is an alternative route to the traditional Northern Corridor and Southern Corridor.
The route starts in China and crosses Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. It then passes through the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye before reaching Europe.
The Middle Corridor offers a land route that connects the eastern parts of Asia, including China, with Europe, bypassing the longer maritime routes.