BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 26. The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, of the so-called Middle Corridor, could become an important link between China and the EU, said Hikmet Hajiyev, Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration, in an interview with Global Times, TurkicWorld reports.
"Most importantly, we see the Chinese-Azerbaijan partnership as significant within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), particularly in the context of the Middle Corridor. The Middle Corridor could become an important linkage between China and the EU," he said.
According to Hajiyev, Azerbaijan, along with Central Asian countries, situated along the Caspian and Black Sea, can be strong partners in connectivity linkages. "This aligns well with the BRI and underscores the strategic partnership between China and Azerbaijan".
He also added that Azerbaijan sees steady growth in the trade relationship with China.
"But it is not the ultimate end. There are more prospects for that. First, I would like to see more Chinese companies in Azerbaijan. Chinese companies are already present in diversifying Azerbaijan's economy, but we are expecting more as Azerbaijan moves toward green growth," Hajiyev said.
The Middle Corridor links the container rail freight networks of China and the European Union countries through Central Asia, the South Caucasus, Türkiye, and Eastern Europe.
A multilateral multimodal transportation infrastructure links ferry terminals on the Caspian and Black Seas with the railway systems of China, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Türkiye, Ukraine, and Poland.
The Middle Corridor facilitates increased cargo traffic from China to Türkiye, as well as to Europe and vice versa.
