BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 3. A German Rhenus Group logistics company aims to increase Uzbekistan's role in the Middle Corridor, a source from the company told Trend.
"Rhenus wants to capitalize on Uzbekistan's trade potential and help the Middle Corridor become a competitive route for international trade by investing in transshipment capacities to offer Green Routings with intermodal traffic in vital regions like the Fergana Valley and Samarkand," the source said.
The source noted that Uzbekistan occupies a pivotal position as a bridge between China, Türkiye and Europe within Central Asia with its significant population of over 37 million, mostly young residents, and robust economic growth.
"Uzbekistan's strategic location, coupled with its burgeoning economic potential, makes it an important player in facilitating trade flows along the International Trans-Caspian Route, commonly known as the Middle Corridor," the source from the company emphasized.
Rhenus also plans to expand its operations in Uzbekistan and neighboring Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and the Southern Caucasus due to the country's economic potential and business climate.
Meanwhile, 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.
The route has been actively operating in recent years, steadily increasing cargo transportation from China to Europe via the Caspian-Azerbaijan-Georgia-Black Sea/Türkiye. A total of 2.76 million tons of cargo passed through the corridor in 2023, and plans for 2024 are for 4.2 million tons.