Organization overseeing Middle Corridor transport route could soon be headed by Azerbaijani delegate

The international association on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR, also known as the Middle Corridor) could soon be headed by an Azerbaijani delegate.

Gaidar Abdikerimov, who was the former Secretary General of the organization, gave this prediction during a recent interview to Azerbaijani media, Caliber.Az reports.

“The Secretary General is elected for a three-year term, and each time the candidate must be approved by the TITR Board. New elections are expected to be held in May of this year. There is a high likelihood that a representative from Azerbaijan will be appointed to the position,” Abdikerimov stated, who currently serves as a senior certified expert in the fields of transport, logistics, and international transport corridors.

Nurgul Zhakupova is currently serving as Acting Secretary General of TITR, which was established in 2017 with its headquarters in Astana. It aims to coordinate the cooperation of all parties involved in freight transport along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, which serves as a corridor for transporting goods from China to Europe through Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan and Georgia.

Azerbaijani TITR board members include Rovshan Rustamov, the Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways, Rauf Valiyev, the Chairman of "Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company" and Taleh Ziyadov, the Director General of Baku International Sea Trade Port.

Abdikerimov did clarify, however, that the headquarters will remain in Astana regardless of the new general's nationality, as stipulated by the organisation's charter and existing agreements.

In 2024, freight traffic along the TITR increased by 62%, reaching 4.5 million tonnes. In 2025, this volume is projected to grow to 5.2 million tonnes, with 4.2 million tonnes passing through TITR member states. Of this, 2.5 million tonnes are predicted to be dry cargo (96,000 TEU) while 1.7 million tonnes will entail oil cargo. By 2027, the corridor’s capacity is expected to reach 10 million tonnes.

By Nazrin Sadigova