BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 22. Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan play key roles in the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR, or Middle Corridor), Matthew Orr, Eurasia Analyst at RANE, told Trend.
"Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are the key states without which the route could not function," he said.
As Matthew Orr pointed out, Kazakhstan is the only Central Asian country with the necessary infrastructure to enable transit along the Middle Corridor.
"Azerbaijan has the necessary Caspian Sea access. Meanwhile both Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are investing in the route's expansion and will most likely continue to do so, their commitment to the route remains somewhat ambiguous," he said.
According to him, both countries should focus their transportation efforts on the development of the Middle Corridor.
"An important indicator to which in the years ahead will be whether Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan establish durable mechanisms to ensure continued investment in the Middle Corridor to diversify their export routes," he said.
The Middle Corridor is a transportation and commerce route linking Asia and Europe that passes through various nations in the region. It's a different route from the standard Northern and Southern Corridors.
The route begins in China and travels through Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. Before reaching Europe, it travels across the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey and it provides a land route connecting eastern Asia, particularly China, with Europe, skipping lengthier sea routes.