BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 12. Middle Corridor should be turned into a viable route that exists by itself, said Magzhan Ilyassov, the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the UK, Trend reports via the Caspian Policy Center (CPC).
Addressing the second Caspian Connectivity Conference in London, Ilyassov stressed that one of Kazakhstan’s priorities is to unlock the full potential of the Middle Corridor, ensuring that it will be utilized not as an alternative, or secondary route.
“We have to turn it into a viable route that exists by itself... For now, our ambition when I say ‘ours’ is not only [Kazakhstan] but also all of the countries that are presented here,” he added.
Kazakhstan’s Ambassador also spoke of his country’s priorities at COP29.
“For Kazakhstan, and for Central Asian countries, one issue that we will be focused on is water. If you look at the Caspian [Sea], which is losing water in the last couple of years very dramatically and unprecedently, this is also important for transition and transport logistics, because the ports have less access to water,” he said.
The Middle Corridor is a transportation and trade route that connects Asia and Europe, passing through several countries in the region. It is an alternative route to the traditional Northern Corridor and Southern Corridor.
The route starts in China and crosses Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. It then passes through the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye before reaching Europe.
The Middle Corridor offers a land route that connects the eastern parts of Asia, including China, with Europe, bypassing the longer maritime routes.
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