ASTANA, Kazakhstan, November 21. Kazakhstan and Hungary have explored opportunities to enhance one of the most strategic trade corridors - the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, said President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at a joint press conference with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in Budapest, Trend reports.
"New opportunities are opening up for the development of infrastructure, logistics, and international trade. Kazakhstan handles 85% of overland transit shipments between Asia and Europe, and in the near future, shipments along this route are expected to reach 10 million tons," Tokayev stated.
He also revealed that during his visit to Hungary, a memorandum of cooperation was signed between KTZ Express (Kazakhstan), L.A.C. Holding (Hungary), and Xi'an Free Trade Port Construction and Operation (China).
"This agreement will strengthen trade and transport connections between our countries and represents another step forward in deepening economic ties across the region," the president added.
The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, or the so-called Middle Corridor, is a trade and transportation route linking Asia and Europe, passing through a number of regional countries as an alternative to the traditional Northern and Southern Corridors.
Beginning in China, the route crosses Central Asian countries like Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, then traverses the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye before reaching Europe. Offering a direct land route, the Middle Corridor connects East Asia, including China, to Europe, providing a faster alternative to longer maritime paths.