The reshaping of global trade routes has increased the strategic importance of the Caspian region and created new opportunities for cooperation between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. The two countries are expanding their partnership beyond traditional transit relations into areas such as trade, logistics, energy, and digital infrastructure. They have set a target of doubling bilateral trade turnover to USD 1 billion.
According to sea-news.az the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), also known as the Middle Corridor, plays the central role in this process. Connecting China, Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Türkiye, and Europe, the corridor has become one of the most promising transport routes across Eurasia.
Over the past seven years, cargo volumes transported via the Middle Corridor have increased more than fivefold, reaching 4.5 million tons. This figure is expected to rise to 5.2 million tons this year, while container traffic is projected to grow from 77,000 TEU to 300,000 TEU by 2029.
In the first quarter of 2026 alone, 125 container trains passed through Kazakhstan via the Middle Corridor, representing a 34.4% increase compared with the same period last year.
Kazakhstan is also expanding its transportation capacity on the Caspian Sea. Cargo transshipment through Kuryk Port increased by 22%, reaching 2.45 million tons, and the country plans to expand its merchant fleet from 18 vessels to 32 vessels by 2028.
Azerbaijan, meanwhile, continues to strengthen its logistics potential. The Port of Baku in Alat aims to achieve a record throughput of 120,000 TEU containers this year. In addition, the modernization of the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway will increase its annual freight capacity from 1 million tons to 5 million tons.
One of the corridor’s key advantages is speed. Cargo can travel from Xi’an, China, to the European Union border in approximately 13–14 days, making the route faster than maritime transport and more cost-effective than air freight.
Furthermore, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are intensifying cooperation in the digitalization of customs and logistics procedures. Electronic document management and data exchange systems are helping to reduce transit times and improve the transparency and efficiency of cargo operations.
According to Azerbaijani transport expert Rauf Agamirzayev, large-scale investments in infrastructure allow the Middle Corridor to be viewed not only as a transit route but also as a platform for deeper economic cooperation among the countries of the region. He notes that the development of ports, railways, logistics centers, and digital infrastructure significantly contributes to expanding trade, industrial cooperation, and investment ties between Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and other participating states.
In his view, the Middle Corridor is evolving from a regional initiative into an essential component of the global transport system. Its development not only increases transit revenues but also creates favorable conditions for deeper industrial cooperation, energy collaboration, and digital integration between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.
Currently, trade turnover between the two countries exceeds USD 500 million. With the completion of new infrastructure projects and the continued expansion of the Middle Corridor, this figure is expected to reach USD 1 billion in the coming years.
