BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 18. The Middle Corridor is one of the key instruments for unlocking the potential of Central Asia and presenting the region to the global community, Kyrgyz political analyst and public administration expert Sheradil Baktygulov said in an interview with Trend on the sidelines of the international conference titled “C6: One region, shared future—enhancing strategic dialogue” held in Baku.
According to Baktygulov, the Middle Corridor, winding its way through Azerbaijan, opens up a world of unique opportunities for all the countries involved.
“This is more than just territorial, political, economic, or social convergence; it is a dynamic process already in motion and set to grow further. The Middle Corridor’s primary mission is to foster mutually beneficial business cooperation, driving prosperity for the communities and nations along its route,” he noted.
He stressed that the creation and development of the route is a logical continuation of efforts dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries. While such ties existed previously within the framework of the Soviet Union, the emergence of sovereign states introduced borders, tariffs, and trade barriers.
Baktygulov added that the restoration of security and constitutional order in Azerbaijan’s territories liberated from occupation has opened new prospects for the corridor’s implementation.
“The Russia-Ukraine crisis has become a trigger for accelerating cooperation. The office of the Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia (TRACECA), which is part of the Middle Corridor, is located in Baku, although its route initially passed through existing cargo points. Since then, the transport and logistics landscape in Central Asia and the South Caucasus has changed significantly,” he said.
The expert emphasized that the Middle and Southern corridors complement rather than compete with each other.
“The volume of cargo from China, Europe, and other countries is enormous. The land route complements air transportation, which usually passes through Istanbul with the participation of Turkish operators. We are now talking about creating a mixed multimodal corridor using rail, road transport, and Ro-Ro ferries across the Caspian Sea. This opens up new opportunities to strengthen regional connectivity,” Baktygulov stated.
He also noted that most Central Asian countries are landlocked. For example, he says Uzbekistan faces the challenge of traversing the land borders of two countries to access the ocean, underscoring the strategic significance of developing alternative transport routes, such as the Middle Corridor, for the entire region.
The Middle Corridor is a transport trade route passing through several countries in the region and connecting Asia with Europe. It serves as 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. It then crosses the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye before reaching Europe. The Middle Corridor is a land-based route that bypasses longer maritime paths, linking eastern parts of Asia, including China, with Europe.
On February 18, Baku played host to the international conference "C6: One region, shared future—enhancing strategic dialogue." At the event, which was hosted by the AIR Center, the topic of discussion was the potential expansion of the Central Asian consultative platform from the current "C5" (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan) to "C6" with the addition of Azerbaijan.
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