Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan to sign agreements to enhance Trans-Caspian freight corridor PHOTO

Kazakhstan is set to sign agreements with Azerbaijan aimed at increasing freight transport along the Trans-Caspian Transport Route, also known as the Middle Corridor.

Speaking to reporters, Nurlan Zhakupov, head of Kazakhstan’s sovereign wealth fund Samruk-Kazyna, said one of the agreements would be signed with the AZCON holding, Caliber.Az reports per local media.

“As part of this agreement, we will explore the joint operation of ferries built at the Baku Shipyard,” Zhakupov explained, adding that the deal is intended to strengthen both the capacity and strategic role of the Middle Corridor.

Meanwhile, Kazakhstan’s Energy Minister, Yerlan Akkenzhenov, said the strategic energy agreements will cover the transit of Kazakh oil through Azerbaijan.

They will also include the development of a “green cable” project, a trilateral initiative involving Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, with the signing scheduled during the state visit of the Azerbaijani president to Kazakhstan.

Minister Akkenzhenov said the agreements will focus on increasing the volumes of Kazakh oil transported via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline.

“The existing Azerbaijani infrastructure allows for higher volumes of Kazakh oil shipments. Transit arrangements are subject to commercial negotiations between operators regarding tariffs. If conditions are favourable and comparable with other transport routes, such as Atyrau–Samara, this could be highly beneficial. Better terms than the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) route would be even more advantageous,” he explained.

He added that the Baku-Supsa pipeline could be considered for future use if Kazakhstan’s oil production expands.

The Trans-Caspian Transport Route, often called the Middle Corridor, is a strategic logistics link connecting Central Asia with Europe via the Caspian Sea.

Stretching from Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan across Azerbaijan to Georgia and Türkiye, it offers an alternative to traditional northern routes through Russia. 

Developed to meet growing trade demand and respond to geopolitical shifts, the corridor facilitates the movement of energy, raw materials, and manufactured goods. The route combines rail and maritime transport, with ferries crossing the Caspian Sea between Aktau in Kazakhstan and Baku in Azerbaijan.

In recent years, investments in port infrastructure, rail modernisation, and shipping capacity have sought to boost throughput and reduce transit times, enhancing the corridor’s competitiveness and importance for Eurasian trade.

By Aghakazim Guliyev