BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 4. The Middle Corridor’s countries have started to see the route as a geopolitical tool to deepen mutual partnerships, and connectivity is now an essential component of foreign policy diversification strategies, Valentina Chabert, the representative of the Sapienza University of Rome and a geopolitical analyst, told Trend.
"However, the Trans-Caspian line not only opens up new potential for transcontinental rail connectivity, but it also represents a shift in Eurasia's geopolitics. At the moment, it is feasible to say that Middle Corridor nations have begun to perceive the route as a geopolitical weapon for deepening mutual partnerships, and connectivity is now an important component of foreign policy diversification efforts. Azerbaijan, for example, sees the Middle Corridor as an opportunity to strengthen the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey triangle, to balance the Armenia-Russia-Iran axis, and at the same time, the route is an optimal link in Azerbaijan's pivot to Central Asia in close cooperation with Turkey, in a region traditionally dominated by Russia and China," she said.
According to her, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan have been the major stakeholders pushing forward with investments and institutional cooperation to leverage the Middle Corridor’s potential after the start of the war in Ukraine.
"Baku allocated millions of dollars to upgrade the transport capacity of the Georgian section of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railroad, with a view to better handling the growing amount of cargo in the Alat port after the completion of the construction phases. In addition, in June 2023, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan signed an agreement to establish a joint logistics company that will oversee the unification of tariffs, the simplification of transit procedures, and the handling of cargo along the Trans-Caspian route. Georgia signed the document, too, on the occasion of Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister's visit to the country. I am fully convinced that partnership frameworks like these are expected to alleviate infrastructure challenges by lowering transaction costs and increasing operational efficiency, thereby improving the Middle Corridor’s competitive advantage vis – à – vis alternative routes," Valentina Chabert noted.
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.