BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 6. The active use of the Middle Corridor as a fast and safe route significantly contributes to the sustainable development of landlocked countries, the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure of Türkiye, Turcim Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said, Trend reports.
He made the remark at a plenary session of the Third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC3) in Turkmenistan's Awaza.
He noted that the lack of access to the sea creates additional costs for trade, reduces the profitability of exporters, and complicates access to international markets for landlocked countries.
"In this context, Türkiye, located at the crossroads of Asia, Europe, and Africa, plays a key role in developing multimodal transport corridors and becoming a strategic hub for global logistics connections. The East-West Middle Corridor through the Caspian Sea is seen as an effective and productive alternative in international trade.
The Middle Corridor offers a fast and secure transport solution, which significantly contributes to the sustainable development of landlocked countries. In addition, expanding cooperation between customs services and simplifying customs procedures can significantly increase trade flows," the minister said.
According to him, active use of the Middle Corridor and strengthening international cooperation will be an important step in improving the efficiency of global trade and supporting economic development in vulnerable regions.
The Middle Corridor is a transport and trade route connecting Asia and Europe, passing through a number of countries in the region. It is an alternative to the traditional Northern and Southern Corridors.
The route begins in China and passes through Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, then across the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye before reaching Europe. The Middle Corridor offers a land route connecting the eastern regions of Asia, including China, with Europe, bypassing longer sea routes.