LEIPZIG, Germany, May 6. The International Transport Forum (ITF) Summit, the world’s largest annual gathering of transport ministers, opened today at the Leipzig Convention Center, Trend's correspondent reports from Leipzig.
More than 1,200 delegates from over 80 countries are taking part in the event, including ministers, financiers, heads of international organizations, business representatives, and experts.
This year’s theme is financing sustainable transport. Behind this formulation lies a concrete challenge: global transport infrastructure is under pressure from multiple simultaneous crises.
Disruptions in the Red Sea caused by Houthi attacks have forced major shipping companies to reroute around Africa, sharply increasing freight costs. Periodic droughts have made the Panama Canal temporarily impassable. The war in Ukraine has reshaped logistics across Eurasia. Against this backdrop, the question of how to build transport systems capable of withstanding such shocks has moved beyond academic debate.
Financing such infrastructure presents a separate challenge. Developing countries cannot afford to invest in backup capacity that remains idle most of the time, while developed countries increasingly face political resistance to large infrastructure projects. Finding a balance between commercial logic and strategic resilience is at the center of ITF discussions over the next three days.
Against this backdrop, Azerbaijan’s upcoming ITF presidency in 2026 stands out as particularly relevant. In recent years, Baku has become a key hub in Eurasian logistics. The Middle Corridor — linking China to Europe via Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, and onward through Türkiye or Georgia — has experienced rapid growth. Following sanctions-related disruptions on traditional routes through Russia, freight flows via Azerbaijan have increased significantly.
The country has been investing in the Port of Alat, railway infrastructure, and border crossings, steadily expanding its transit capacity.
All of this positions Azerbaijan not just as the incoming forum chair, but as a country with a direct practical stake in its agenda. The summit will continue until May 8.
