BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 1. Regional trade within Kazakhstan, across Central Asia, and beyond will greatly benefit from the upgrade and expansion of the Transcaspian Transport Corridor, said Huseyin Ozhan, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Managing Director for Central Asia and Mongolia, in an exclusive interview with Trend.
The EBRD is intensifying its efforts to support Kazakhstan’s economic transformation by investing in key sectors such as sustainable infrastructure, clean energy, connectivity, and critical raw materials.
"In addition to financing projects under Kazakhstan’s National Infrastructure Plan, the EBRD is actively pursuing opportunities in sectors strategically important for the country," Ozhan noted. These include decarbonization of the economy, renewable energy auctions with battery storage, and promoting public-private partnerships to close infrastructure gaps in energy, urban transport, healthcare, and education.
A central focus is the Transcaspian International Transport Route (TITR), the so-called Middle Corridor, where Kazakhstan plays a pivotal role. "Kazakhstan should upgrade its connector roads and railways, modernise border crossings and eliminate unnecessary barriers to trade and transportation," Ozhan said. The bank is supporting state-owned and private companies providing transport and logistics services along the corridor to boost regional connectivity.
Another priority is developing Kazakhstan’s critical raw materials sector, vital for the global clean energy transition. "As mineral demand for clean energy technologies is expected to rise significantly by 2040, increased investment in mining critical raw materials is essential for manufacturing wind turbines, solar panels, lithium-ion, and electric car batteries," he explained.
EBRD is assisting Kazakhstan in modernising geoscientific data systems and developing promising deposits, such as the Sarytogan graphite mine in the Karaganda region.
Finally, Ozhan emphasised the importance of local enterprises for sustainable growth. "There can be no resilient or sustainable economic growth and quality job creation without strong local enterprises." The EBRD provides financial and advisory support to SMEs through partner banks in Kazakhstan, reinforcing the foundation for inclusive development.
With over 11 billion euros invested across 340 projects, the EBRD remains a leading partner in Kazakhstan’s journey toward a greener, more competitive, and better-connected economy.