BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 25. Azerbaijan holds a strategic position along the Middle Corridor, as it is part of the extended Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) and the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor, Stella Renita, head of the European Investment Bank’s (EIB) Regional Representation for the South Caucasus told Trend.
According to Renita, the bank, through EIB Global, is ready to finance infrastructure and logistics projects in Azerbaijan, provided they align with the European Union’s (EU) priorities and the country’s connectivity goals under the Global Gateway strategy and the EU’s new Strategic Approach to the Black Sea region.
"There is significant potential for closer integration of rail, port, and road infrastructure, which will improve connections between Central Asia and Europe, reduce transit times, and support more diversified trade routes," she noted.
Renita highlighted that the EIB is already providing advisory support to enhance safety along the Baku–Beyuk Kesik railway corridor, a key section of the Middle Corridor. These efforts were carried out under the Facility for Eastern Partnership Investment in Connectivity, funded by the EU and managed by the EIB. The work has helped prepare projects by increasing operational safety, reducing transit time and emissions, and ensuring compliance with EU environmental and technical standards.
She emphasized that attracting private investment is one of the main objectives of the EU’s Global Gateway approach. The EIB can leverage a wide range of financial instruments to mobilize private capital for strategically important connectivity projects, under the right conditions.
"These tools include long-term loans, project financing structures, as well as blended finance solutions and risk-sharing mechanisms backed by EU budget guarantees under the NDICI-Global Europe program, the EU’s main external financial instrument for 2021–2027. These instruments are designed to reduce risks, increase project attractiveness, and enhance bankability, making infrastructure investments more appealing to private investors," Renita explained.
The Middle Corridor (also known as the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, TITR) is a transport and trade route connecting Asia with Europe, serving as an alternative to the traditional Northern and Southern corridors. It begins in China, passes through Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, crosses the Caspian Sea via Azerbaijan, continues through Georgia and Turkey, and finally reaches Europe. This overland route bypasses longer maritime paths, linking eastern Asia, including China, directly to Europe.