BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 29. Kazakhstan is playing an active role in the development of the Middle Corridor, a key transport project of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) designed to provide reliable trade arteries between Asia and Europe, said Sanat Kushkumbayev, Chief Research Fellow at the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies (KazISS), Trend reports.
Speaking at a conference of analytical centers of OTS member states in Baku, Kushkumbayev noted that Kazakhstan views the development of the OTS as both a historic responsibility and a strategic resource capable of strengthening economic resilience, diversification, and regional integration.
“The Middle Corridor is the flagship project of the OTS and a significant contribution to global trade stability. Its importance has multiplied in today’s unstable conditions,” the expert said.
He added that Kazakhstan has invested more than $100 billion in modernizing transport infrastructure and serves as a key transit and logistics hub in Eurasia, handling about 80 percent of overland transit on the China-Europe route. Among priority projects are the secondary route via Dostyk, the Bakhtin-Aidar project, and the modernization of Aktau and Kuryk ports.
According to Kushkumbayev, joint efforts by OTS countries are already yielding results: freight traffic along the Middle Corridor has increased nearly sixfold since 2020, with plans to reach 10 million tons annually. The creation of joint ventures such as Middle Corridor Multimodal Limited and the implementation of a unified digital operator have accelerated transit and simplified border procedures.
“Transport corridors are a tool for creating a deeply integrated economic space, stimulating mutual trade and industrial cooperation within the Turkic world,” Kushkumbayev emphasized.
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