ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 10. The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR, or Middle Corridor) is set to play an important role in strengthening Kazakhstan's transit potential, said Zhanar Aitzhan, Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and international economic organizations, Trend reports.
She made the remark during a meeting with the Secretary General of the International Road Transport Union (IRU), Umberto de Pretto.
"The Trans-Caspian route is set to play an important role in strengthening transit potential. The medium term can see a fivefold rise in transit volumes due to the steadily increasing flow of commodities along this route," she said.
Umberto de Pretto, in turn, emphasized Kazakhstan's significant and expanding contribution to interregional road and multimodal transportation.
Following the meeting, the parties talked about an upcoming event at the Khorgos International Center for Cross-Border Cooperation that will involve the customs authorities of China, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan exchanging experiences in the area of safe transit. This event will be facilitated by the IRU and Kazakhstan.
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.