BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 22. EU wants to turn Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor into multimodal economic gateway, said Henrik Hololei, Hors Classe Adviser, Directorate-General for International Partnerships at the European Commission, during the 8th Trans-Caspian Forum hosted by the Caspian Policy Center (CPC) in Washington, D.C., Trend reports.
“One of the key projects that we are focusing on, and bringing along also the private sector and international financial institutions, is particularly the development of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor into a modern, multimodal economic gateway,” said Henrik Hololei. “It’s in all our interests to make the corridor competitive, predictable, affordable, and sustainable,” he emphasized.
Hololei explained that it has never been more important to develop this corridor than now. “It’s now or never for the corridor,” he said.
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.