BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 7. Azerbaijan is regarded as one of the key participants along the transport route linking China and Europe, an EU-funded meta-study stated, TurkicWorld reports.
The assessment is contained in an EU-funded meta-study, which notes that discussions of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor typically highlight Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye as the core countries along the route. At the same time, the study stresses that Armenia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Moldova, and Ukraine also play an important role in the corridor’s broader connectivity.
According to the study, the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor stands to reap the rewards of operational advantages through the development of branch routes that bolster resilience across the South Caucasus. This includes the revival of connections between Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Türkiye, made feasible by recent geopolitical shifts in the region.
“This will help diversify trade routes and potentially ease congestion at overloaded sections. In addition, it could significantly improve Armenia’s connectivity with the EU,” the study says.
The report also highlights that building auxiliary routes and multimodal connections from Central Asian countries not directly on the main corridor, like Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, would bolster the corridor’s ability to funnel critical raw materials (CRM) and other export goods to European markets and throughout the region.
“These links will help integrate inland producers into Trans-Caspian supply chains, expand the EU’s sourcing options, and promote inclusive regional development,” the study further delineates.
The analysis further elucidates the positions of Ukraine and Moldova within this framework.
“Ukraine and Moldova represent a separate but complementary dimension in terms of regional connectivity. Their strategic orientation is primarily defined by integration with the EU, but they are also linked to the Middle Corridor through the western interface via Black Sea and Danube ports, connecting to the EU’s Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T),” the study sums up.
The Middle Corridor is a transport and trade route that runs through several countries in the region, linking Asia with Europe as an alternative to the traditional Northern and Southern corridors. The route begins in China, passes through Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, crosses the Caspian Sea, and continues through Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye before reaching Europe.
