BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 8. Azerbaijan has opportunities to attract private capital for the development of the Middle Corridor, the Senior Investment Officer at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Andriy Maksymovych said, Trend's correspondent reports from the event.
Maksymovych made the statement during the 5th International Conference and Exhibition, Black and Caspian Freight Forum 2026 in Baku.
According to him, Azerbaijan is one of the key hubs of the Middle Corridor, and opportunities for private-sector participation depend, among other things, on the implementation of necessary supporting investments and coordination measures: “I believe there are ample opportunities for participation, provided that many supporting investments and measures are implemented in terms of soft coordination, and that the private sector assumes the risks. Private-sector investments in logistics infrastructure in the region were already underway even before the Middle Corridor gained its current significance.
We’ve been talking about the Middle Corridor for the past five to seven years, and it’s clear that since 2022, it has gained greater significance, momentum, and support. But people have been investing and continue to successfully manage their assets.”
As an example, Maksymovych cited a logistics center in Georgia, in which, according to him, investments were made more than 15 years ago.
He also noted that there are major private investments, particularly in the Port of Poti: “This port is entirely managed by the private sector—specifically, by one of the largest port operators, APM Terminals. It is also one of the few fully privatized ports in APM Terminals’ portfolio, as most ports are primarily operated by the private sector on a concession basis,” Maksymovych said.
According to him, private terminals also operate in the Port of Baku, and the freight forwarding and logistics sector is largely concentrated in the private sector.
“It is very rare for these enterprises to be run by state-owned companies. Representatives of two major companies, the organizers of this interesting event, spoke here today, as did many other companies in Azerbaijan operating in the freight forwarding sector that are successfully carrying out their activities,” he noted.
Maksymovych emphasized that to attract private capital, it is important for the government to create favorable conditions and to determine which investments should be made by the public sector and which by the private sector.
“It is important to find the right balance between what the public sector should invest in and what the private sector can invest in,” he said.
According to him, it is also important to structure such projects properly so that the government receives an appropriate return on its investment in areas where the private sector can invest.
Maksymovych stressed the importance of proper risk allocation when structuring such projects: “It is important that risks be properly allocated.”
As an example of a public-private partnership in Azerbaijan, he cited the project to build a desalination plant in Sumgait.
“This is the first public-private partnership project in Azerbaijan. I would like to thank the government for creating favorable conditions and enacting legislation on public-private partnerships several years ago, as well as for implementing this project through a public-private partnership,” he said.
