ASTANA, Kazakhstan, July 13. Kazakhstan and Georgia have discussed issues of increasing cargo transportation along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR, or Middle Corridor), Trend reports.
Discussions on this topic took place between the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Georgia Malik Murzalin and the First Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia Levan Davitashvili.
In this regard, the importance of the positive involvement of the Georgian side in all processes in various negotiation formats related to the development of this route was noted.
Murzalin informed Davitashvili about the ongoing socio-economic reforms in Kazakhstan, government programs for the development of the transport and tourism sectors. Georgian companies were invited to take a more active role in the Kazakh market by investing and creating joint ventures in promising areas.
In turn, Davitashvili noted that Kazakhstan is a friendly and reliable partner of Georgia.
According to Georgian statistics, trade turnover between the two countries increased 2.7 times last year, exceeding $735 million. Thus, Kazakhstan today is Georgia’s 8th largest trading partner.
To note, tourism is a priority area of bilateral cooperation. Kazakhstan ranks 6th in terms of the number of tourists coming to Georgia. In 2023, this figure increased by 40 percent and reached 167,000 people. The dynamic growth of the tourist flow between the two countries is facilitated by 36 direct weekly flights from five cities in Kazakhstan to three large cities in Georgia.
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.