BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 28. The Port of Baku actively supports the development of trade, logistics, and supply chains, spurring regional connections along the Middle Corridor, effectively linking Asia and Europe, the Chief Operating Officer of the Port of Baku Eugene Seah said, Trend reports.
He made the remark during his visit to the Alat terminal as part of the 42nd session of the BSEC-URTA (Union of Road Transport Associations in the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Region) General Assembly in Baku.
"This strategic role promotes the development of efficient and profitable transportation options, stimulating trade and connections across Eurasia. The port also places great emphasis on environmental sustainability, aiming to minimize its impact on the environment through the use of environmentally friendly methods, renewable energy sources, and responsible resource management," he emphasized.
Middle Corridor, is a multilateral institutional development linking the containerized rail freight transport networks of China and the European Union through the economies of Central Asia, the Caucasus, Türkiye, and Eastern Europe. The multilateral, multi-modal transport institution links Caspian and Black Sea ferry terminals with rail systems in China, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Türkiye, Ukraine, and Poland.
Middle Corridor serves to increase freight traffic from China to Türkiye, as well as to the European countries and in the reverse direction.
The block train running along this corridor delivers cargo from China to Europe in an average of 20-25 days. This is one of the main advantages of the transport corridor.
Baku International Sea Trade Port is the largest port on the Caspian Sea, located at the intersection of east-west and north-south transportation corridors. Sea trade communication with major Caspian sea ports is maintained through the port terminals.
The master plan for the construction of the second phase of the port has been under development since 2023. Upon completion of the second phase of construction, the port capacity will be 25 million tons per year, and the TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) container handling capacity will be 500,000 per year. A mineral fertilizer terminal with a transshipment capacity of 2.5 million tons per year is expected to be commissioned in 2023.