Georgia’s PM says Middle Corridor becoming new standard for Europe–Asia trade

The modernisation of Georgia’s railway infrastructure is strengthening the country’s competitiveness and forms part of the government’s broader objective to ultimately transform the Middle Corridor into the most reliable and secure transport route in the region, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said.

As reported by Caliber.Az, citing Georgian media, Kobakhidze made the remarks while addressing an event dedicated to the completion of a major railway modernisation project in Georgia.

“The world is currently undergoing a geopolitical and economic transformation. Supply chains are changing, and the importance of safe, predictable, and reliable transport routes is increasing. In this context, Georgia’s role must be enhanced through well-considered and strategic decisions,” the prime minister said.

He stressed that a number of flagship initiatives pursued by the Georgian government reflect this strategic approach. According to Kobakhidze, these include the development of the Anaklia port, the modernisation of the railway network, and upgrades to the East–West road infrastructure, all of which are intended to strengthen Georgia’s position as a key transit hub.

“Our future lies precisely in an intermodal transit function that will bring together all modes of transport into a single ecosystem. In this context, the digitalisation of logistics processes, which is now actively underway, is also important,” he emphasised.

Kobakhidze underlined that the Middle Corridor should not be viewed simply as a fallback option for international trade, describing it instead as a fundamentally new model of connectivity. He said the route represents “not merely an alternative route, but a new standard of connectivity between Europe and Asia.”

“Railway modernisation is part of this concept. It strengthens our competitiveness, increases transit capacity, and creates a solid foundation for accommodating growing trade flows, which will increase even further between Europe and Asia in the coming years. The task of our government is ultimately to turn the Middle Corridor into the most reliable, secure, and efficient corridor in the region,” the prime minister concluded.

The Middle Corridor, formally known as the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, is a multimodal trade and transport network linking China and Central Asia with the South Caucasus, Türkiye, and onward to Europe. It integrates rail, road, and maritime transport, passing through Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye before connecting to European transport systems.

The route has gained heightened strategic importance as global supply chains increasingly diversify away from traditional northern routes through Russia and longer southern maritime routes. Offering shorter transit times between East Asia and Europe while avoiding major geopolitical bottlenecks, the Middle Corridor is being promoted as a more resilient, secure, and politically diversified option for Eurasian trade.

By Tamilla Hasanova