ASTANA, Kazakhstan, September 19. Kazakhstan and Georgia are strengthening their collaboration on the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route - the Middle Corridor, said Kazakhstan's Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, Trend reports.
"Last year, cargo shipments along this route increased by 65 percent, and in the first eight months of this year, they've grown by 69 percent, reaching 2.9 million tons. The President places great importance on the development of the Middle Corridor, and we aim to raise cargo volumes along this route to 10 million tons. The government is taking consistent steps to improve transit conditions," Bektenov said, as he met Georgia’s Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Levan Davitashvili.
The two sides focused on the potential for growth in the transit and transport sectors. Both countries are key links in major transcontinental transport corridors, offering the shortest routes from Europe to China and Southeast Asia.
Bektenov also emphasized the need for continued cooperation to establish competitive tariffs, reduce delivery times, and expand cargo volumes along the TITR, including the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars line. He highlighted the importance of digitalizing the transport corridor to make it more attractive to international carriers.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to fostering the dynamic growth of trade and economic cooperation between Kazakhstan and Georgia.
The Middle Corridor connects container rail freight networks between China and the European Union via Central Asia, the Caucasus, Türkiye, and Eastern Europe.
The route boosts cargo traffic between China and Türkiye, as well as between European countries, and vice versa. A train along this corridor can deliver cargo from China to Europe in an average of 20–25 days, a key advantage of this transport route.