Kazakhstan keen to expand "Middle Corridor", says minister

Kazakhstan has expressed significant interest in expanding the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, also known as the “Middle Corridor,” citing its strategic importance for regional connectivity.

At today's 5th Silk Road Forum in Tbilisi, Kazakhstan’s Transport Minister Nurlan Sauranbayev highlighted the potential of the corridor to boost trade and transit across the region, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

“The Middle Corridor is of great interest to us. Transit, which in Kazakhstan is often referred to as our ‘second oil’, carries strategic significance for the future of many countries,” Sauranbayev said.

He also emphasised the importance of legal and institutional frameworks, noting that intergovernmental agreements provide guarantees for investors looking to develop infrastructure along the route.

The Middle Corridor, which links China to Europe via Central Asia and the Caspian Sea, has been increasingly viewed as a key alternative to traditional northern and southern transport routes, offering shorter transit times and greater diversification for regional trade.

By Aghakazim Guliyev