BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 18. The second day of the international conference “Black and Caspian Freight Forum 2024: corridors, cargos, infrastructure” has ended in Baku, Trend reports.
According to the information, the key issues of the conference are:
- new opportunities for the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor),
- Azerbaijan's potential as a transit space for international transport corridors,
- transit through Kazakhstan and Georgia as a vital link in the transport route,
- development of Türkiye's logistics infrastructure,
- export of grain and oilseed crops from Kazakhstan and Ukraine in the current realities,
- import of fertilizers: main suppliers and routes,
- containerization as a factor of cargo flow growth,
- development of seaports and terminals in the region; adaptation of capacities to new cargoes,
- new trends in legal issues, and risk insurance.
As Ukrainian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Yuriy Husyev stated, Ukraine will become an important part of the Middle Corridor after the restoration of ferry communication with Georgia.
“Transportation and logistics is an extremely important topic for countries, especially for my country, Ukraine, as well as for other states with huge transit potential. We expect the ferry service between Ukraine and Georgia to be restored soon. This will allow our country to become an important part of the global Middle Corridor and transit route. We hope that this meeting, this significant event in Baku, will help us to improve logistics links between China and the EU market, as well as between the Caucasus and Ukraine, between Türkiye and Ukraine as part of Europe,” he said.
Advisor to the chairman of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC Emil Mammadov stated that CJSC and China are discussing the possibility of increasing the number of railroad services to Europe.
“As you know, over the last year we have been dealing with the maintenance of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) corridor. We have completed the work, focusing on key operational and maintenance aspects, and from June 2024 the basic service has been resumed and is now operational. This has increased the capacity of the line from 1 million tons to 5 million tons,” he said.
According to him, the BTK is currently the shortest and perhaps the most convenient route to deliver cargo from Central Asian countries to Europe or Africa.
“In terms of the connection between Türkiye and the region of Azerbaijan or Central Asia, it also remains the shortest landline that allows not only traditional freight transportation but also continental rail deliveries. Moreover, we are negotiating with our Chinese partners on the possibility of increasing the number of railroad routes to Europe, which will be an additional opportunity for China to enter the European market,” he added.
In addition, Mammadov noted that the Czech Republic has shown interest in a joint venture on Baku-Tbilisi-Kars.
Azerbaijani Railways CJSC and Georgian operator Marabda-Kartsakhi Railway established a joint venture BTKI Railways LLC on August 14 this year.
“The joint venture aims to increase the volume of cargo transportation from China to European countries. The idea is to find opportunities to cooperate with European partners to ensure the delivery of goods from the Western side. Central Asian countries play a key role in this process, and the Czech Republic has recently shown interest in the project, expressing its desire to become part of this important international venture,” he said.
Further, Mammadov stated that active work on the development of the Middle Corridor will start next year.
“From 2025, it is planned to expand the joint project. The most important goal is to launch a new wave of development of the Middle Corridor by June, which will include institutional development. We are talking about organizing new facilities, improving operational efficiency, implementing a reliable and transparent policy on delivery time - all these tasks will be solved within this ambitious project,” he said.
Mammadov noted that special attention was paid to terminals, which play a strategic role in the logistics chain.
“Although the main points have already been covered, it is important to note that the project involves much more than just the creation of a transportation route. It is a step towards strengthening international cooperation and developing the economies of the participating countries,” he added.
MSC Georgia Managing Director Alkan Alicik noted that the Caspian Sea and the Middle Corridor play a key role as important transportation arteries connecting continents and facilitating international trade.
“The Black Sea, the Caspian Sea, and the Middle Corridor play a key role as important transportation arteries connecting continents and facilitating international trade. This region has always had a significant impact on the global economy. MSC, as the market leader in container transportation in this region, has in recent years become one of the leading players in a dynamically developing market. We are actively developing innovative solutions and strengthening strategic partnerships in this region,” he emphasized.
Chairman of the Supervisory Board of “NurZholCompany” and head of the Board of the National Association of Exporters “KazGrain” Kanat Kobessov, stated that the Middle Corridor, which also passes through Kazakhstan, demonstrates active growth of cargo flows.
According to him, global trade is projected to grow annually in the coming years, despite the current economic difficulties.
“In recent years, the Eurasian region has become an increasingly important part of the global transportation system, and three key corridors play a significant role in this process. The Northern Corridor, passing through eastern Russia, is losing ground due to geopolitical and economic changes. In contrast, the middle corridor through Kazakhstan is growing strongly. The emerging Southern Corridor, which connects the Caucasus with Central Asia through Kazakhstan, is also an important element of development. An important role in the development of this infrastructure is played by railroad communication, which is actively developing and is expected to be expanded with new routes,” he said.
Kobessov noted that experts expect that trade growth in the Eurasian region could be at least 2 percent a year, which underscores the need to adapt transport logistics to the increasing volume of goods.
Maersk's Central Asia and Caucasus Business Development Manager, Irakli Danelia, emphasized that Maersk focused on developing a transit route through the Middle Corridor.
“When it comes to the Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Southern and Middle Corridors, we focus on developing transit routes through these regions. However, we should not limit ourselves to their transit role; the markets of these countries are important in their own right, given the export and import flows associated with different parts of the world. We offer the market one major solution - global connectivity for Central Asia. We provide a direct rail link between China and countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, providing container transportation and supporting export flows from Central Asia to China,” he said.
According to Danelia, Maersk develops not only the eastern direction but also actively promotes connections of the Caucasus and Central Asian countries with Europe, Africa, and America through the Western Corridor.
“At the moment, the development of this transit corridor is at a high level. The main reason is the availability of political support, which plays the role of a key factor for the countries of the Caucasus and Central Asia. This allows us to effectively organize uninterrupted transportation and solve all logistical problems for shippers. In this context, we can mention the so-called cross-border transportation services (CBT), which contribute to the development of the Middle Corridor,” he added.
The forum will continue tomorrow.
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