ASTANA, Kazakhstan, June 9. The creation of a unified operator for the Middle Corridor is a necessity, Serik Zhumangarin, Minister of Trade and Integration of Kazakhstan, said during a meeting with Parviz Shahbazov, Minister of Energy of Azerbaijan, on the sidelines of the Astana International Forum (AIF 2023), Trend reports from the scene.
“The development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TCITR), or the Middle Corridor, is a priority task for both countries. We have already signed a roadmap until 2027 for the synchronous elimination of bottlenecks. The next step is the creation of a unified operator for this route. This initiative is supported by all project participants,” he said.
The minister also emphasized the importance of establishing through tariffs, which requires Georgia’s involvement in the process.
The Middle Corridor extends through several countries, including China, Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and then heads to Turkey and European countries. This route offers an alternative to the northern routes typically used for delivering goods to Europe.