Kazakh president: Central Asia, South Caucasus see surging transit flow competition

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev highlighted the growing regional competition, noting that competition for transit flows is intensifying in Central Asia and the South Caucasus.

During a meeting on developing regional cargo air hubs, the Kazakh leader added that while cargo transport in Kazakhstan currently depends mainly on road and rail networks, expert forecasts indicate that the share of air cargo is expected to grow steadily each year, Caliber.Az reports, citing the Kazakh president’s press service (Akorda).

“By 2040, 20 percent of cargo air transport will operate along the Asia-Europe route. Our country needs to establish a multimodal logistics framework that integrates railways, roads, and air transport,” Tokayev said.

The President emphasised the need to leverage Kazakhstan’s geographic advantages.

“Kazakhstan is located at the intersection of major air corridors between Europe and Asia. We must use these opportunities as efficiently and rationally as possible. In Central Asia and the South Caucasus, competition for transit flows is intensifying. At the same time, a struggle for investment in the transport and logistics sector is emerging. It is important to understand that if bold and decisive steps are not taken today, we risk missing our opportunities,” Tokayev stated.

He identified the development of fully operational air hubs at key national airports as a top priority.

Kazakhstan sits at the heart of Eurasia, bridging Europe and Asia; its location alone gives it the potential to act as a major transcontinental corridor.

In recent years, Kazakhstan has significantly increased transit volumes: in 2024, cargo transit rose by around 7.1%, reaching approximately 34.6 million tonnes.

To support this growth, the government is investing heavily in expanding and modernising transport infrastructure — railways, roads, seaports, and also air and multimodal logistics hubs.

By Jeyhun Aghazada