The development of the Middle Corridor has moved beyond the stage of political statements into the plane of pragmatic economic calculations and is becoming one of the main factors in strengthening economic independence for Central Asian countries.
Sea-news.az reports that Khayotjon Ibrahimov, Head of the Center for Energy Diplomacy and Geopolitics at the Institute for Advanced International Studies of Uzbekistan, stated this.
The expert noted that Azerbaijan brings logical completeness to the Trans-Caspian route with the modern transport and logistics infrastructure it has created—the Baku International Sea Trade Port and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway. To further increase the efficiency of the route, it is essential to form a single digital corridor, introduce electronic cargo documents, implement automated customs inspections, and create a unified tariff policy. At the same time, expanding the merchant fleet and connecting the route with new arteries such as the “China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan” railway are of special importance.
X. Ibrahimov emphasized that Azerbaijan’s unification with the five states of Central Asia in the C6+1 format changes the international subjectivity of the region, forming a single transit and trade space. This format opens up wide opportunities for strategic projects such as the export of “green energy” to Europe via submarine power cables, joint processing of raw materials, and the joint ensuring of the security of critical transport infrastructure.
