BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 3. The volume of transit cargo transportation through the territory of Azerbaijan in 2025 reached 4.3 million tons, which is 2.5 times more compared to 2019, while container transportation grew by 25%, reaching 77,000 TEU, Ayten Turabova, Head of the International Transport Operations Sector of the Transport Policy Department at the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport of Azerbaijan, said, Trend reports.
She made the remark during the II Caspian International Forum "Transport, Transit, and Logistics" in Baku.
According to her, thanks to its strategic location at the intersection of the East-West and North-South corridors, Azerbaijan is strengthening its position as one of the key transit hubs in the region, with digitalization becoming a crucial factor in increasing the competitiveness of the transport system.
Turabova noted that over the past 20 years, Azerbaijan has invested significantly in the development of transport infrastructure, including the construction of railways, highways, airports, and port facilities.
Among the largest projects, she highlighted the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway line with a capacity of 5 million tons per year, as well as the Baku International Sea Trade Port with a capacity of 15 million tons of cargo and a container terminal for 100,000 TEU.
According to her, the further development of transport corridors depends not only on infrastructure but also on the implementation of digital solutions.
Turabova informed that work is currently underway to create a unified "single window" information system, which will integrate shippers, carriers, forwarders, government agencies, and other participants of the transport and logistics process into a single digital environment.
She noted that the new system will allow for the reduction of bureaucratic procedures, introduce the principle of one-time data submission, increase transit transparency, and identify and eliminate bottlenecks along transport routes in real time.
According to the ministry representative, Azerbaijan is also actively promoting digitalization within the framework of international cooperation. In particular, work continues on the implementation of the electronic permit system (e-Permit) within the Organization of Turkic States. The exchange of electronic permits is already being carried out with Türkiye, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, while negotiations are underway with Kazakhstan.
Turabova added that according to the forecasts of international organizations, including the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the Asian Development Bank, the volume of transportation along the Middle Corridor could reach 11 million tons by 2030.
Furthermore, the number of container block trains from China reached 392 last year, which is 37% higher than the figure from the previous year.
According to Turabova, under the conditions of growing cargo traffic, the digitalization of transport processes is becoming a necessity rather than a choice to ensure the efficiency, reliability, and sustainability of international transport corridors.
The 2nd Caspian International Forum "Transport, transit, and logistics" is being held in Baku as part of the TransLogistica Caspian 2026 exhibition and brings together representatives of government agencies, international organizations, and leading companies in the transport and logistics sector.
