BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 30. Azerbaijan and Pakistan could greatly benefit from the Middle Corridor connectivity, said Jeyhun Bayramov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, during a joint press briefing with his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar, Trend reports.
"The issue of connectivity is always at the top of our agenda. When we talk about projects from which both Azerbaijan and Pakistan can benefit, special attention should be paid to the East-West, or so-called Middle Corridor. This project is around 2,000 kilometers shorter compared to other initiatives when we talk about land connectivity. In Azerbaijan, we pay special attention to this issue," he said.
"First of all, we have our immediate neighbors, in different formats. As a result of the work done recently, in 2023, we managed to increase the transit flow through the Middle Corridor by 65 percent, and we have more ambitious plans for the upcoming years," the minister elaborated.
FM Bayramov further added that important investment decisions have been made to expand the Baku Sea Trade Port from the current 15 to 25 million tons. "Azerbaijan is also investing heavily in railroad infrastructure - both in our own territory and even in neighboring countries".
"We believe that with the increase in various economic projects between Pakistan and Central Asian countries, and being aware of the Pakistan-China Economic Corridor, the transit dimension of this project can create a very good synergy. It was one of the topics of today's discussions," he concluded.
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.