BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 18. China will build a multidimensional connectivity network to support high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, Xi Jinping said in his speech at the opening ceremony of the Third ‘One Belt, One Road’ Forum of International Cooperation in Beijing on October 18, Trend reports.
In his address, Xi Jinping unveiled eight significant measures that China will undertake to bolster collaboration between state members of the Belt and Road initiative.
One of the president’s initiatives involves China’s active participation in the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR, or Middle Corridor).
President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in his opening speech of the event stated that two intergovernmental agreements on the development of the Trans-Caspian route were signed between Kazakhstan and China.
Tokayev highlighted Kazakhstan's readiness to serve as a reliable aerial gateway and a convenient hub for the world's top airlines, guaranteeing consistent transportation services for both passengers and cargo.
The Middle Corridor is a transportation and trade route that connects Asia and Europe, passing through several countries in the region. It is an alternative route to the traditional Northern Corridor and Southern Corridor.
The route starts in China and crosses Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. It then passes through the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye before reaching Europe. The Middle Corridor offers a land route that connects the eastern parts of Asia, including China, with Europe, bypassing the longer maritime routes.