President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan expects cargo volumes on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) to reach 10 million tons in the future, taking into account strong demand and technological advancements.
Tokayev, visiting Azerbaijan on 11-12 March 2024, made these remarks in an interview with Azerbaijani APA news agency. He emphasized the strategic importance of strengthening Kazakhstan’s transport and logistics sector.
“In the new geopolitical realities, the role of our countries in promoting and developing transcontinental trade is rapidly increasing. Even a cursory glance at the map shows the unique geographical location of Central Asia and the South Caucasus,” he said.
He highlighted the TITR, also known as the Middle Corridor, as a key player in boosting transcontinental trade. Cargo volumes on the route doubled in 2022 and surged another 65% in 2023, reaching 2.7 million tons (up from 1.7 million tons in 2022).
Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are actively working to increase cargo flow along the TITR. Tokayev mentioned a joint Roadmap adopted in late 2022 to address bottlenecks and develop the Middle Corridor through Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Türkiye (2022-2027).
Additionally, a joint venture, Middle Corridor Multimodal Ltd., has been established by Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Georgia to offer single-window services for rail freight.
According to the President of Kazakhstan, further development of the route and its connection with other transport corridors is also promising, which will provide additional conditions for more extensive transregional integration of the South Caucasus and Turkey with Kazakhstan, Central Asian countries, the EAEU and China.
“In general, TITR has great potential, and, of course, the role of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan in the implementation of this important project is very significant. The development of this route will contribute not only to the expansion of trade dynamics, but also strengthen the position of our countries as a connecting bridge between East and West,” Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stressed.
The full text of the interview can be found here: https://ru.apa.az/foreign-policy/kasym-zomart-tokaev-kazaxstan-i-azerbaidzan-vstupayut-v-novuyu-eru-sotrudnicestva-intervyu-562341
///nCa, 11 March 2024