BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 16. Maersk collaborates with all seaports along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR, or Middle Corridor), Irakli Danelia, Central Asia and Caucasus Region Business Development Manager at Maerks, told Trend.
"Maersk collaborates with all seaports along the Middle Corridor, including Baku, Alat ports (both Azerbaijan), and Aktau port (Kazakhstan). Each port determines its own capacity, and as a contributor to the Middle Corridor, we will support them with our cargo flows. This benefits all parties involved," he said.
According to him, when Maersk supports railway companies with their cargo flows, it also indirectly supports the performance of seaports.
"Increasing cargo flows within the corridor is our shared goal, leading to success for our businesses, both ours and theirs, with more scale, more efficiency, and thus more reliability. We are open to discussing and identifying ways to further contribute to initiatives from ports like Alat Port. Currently, this is the solution available to us, and we actively utilize Alat Port for our operations," he said.
Danelia noted that Maersk is primarily focused on developing the Middle Corridor through ports.
"For exports, we transport cargo from Central Asia and Azerbaijan by rail to Poti, a process we have been carrying out for decades. From Poti, the cargo can be shipped directly to various destinations worldwide, including Türkiye, Europe, Africa, the Far East, and the Americas. The same process applies for imports," he said.
The regional manager pointed out that the demand for the Middle Corridor is steadily increasing.
"This demand primarily stems from Caucasian countries seeking to transport cargo from China through the Middle Corridor to Baku. We handle significant volumes of containers from China to various destinations such as Baku, Georgia, Türkiye, and further into Europe. Additionally, there is growing interest from Japan and Korea in connecting through China to the Middle East and delivering to Caucasian countries and Europe. Furthermore, we are also focused on export-import flows from Central Asia, with the Middle Corridor serving as a crucial route," Danelia 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.