BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 25. The transit time along the Middle Corridor is planned to be reduced to 10–12 days, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Kazakhstan Railways Yerlan Koishibayev said at a panel discussion titled "Azerbaijan at the Center of South Caucasus–Central Asia Strategic Partnerships: The Key Driver of Regional Cooperation" within the framework of the 2nd Azerbaijan International Investment Forum held in Baku today, Trend's correspondent reports from the event.
He noted that the development of the Middle Corridor involves more than just creating an alternative transport route.
"It entails establishing a reliable, competitive, sustainable, and integrated logistics system connecting China, Central Asia, the Caspian region, and Europe," the official explained.
According to him, the partnership between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan holds special significance in this context.
"I would like to highlight the key areas that will determine the future potential of the Middle Corridor. First is the established and growing demand for the route. In 2025, container transit along the Middle Corridor reached 40,000 TEUs, marking a 15% increase compared to 2024. Looking at the last three years, container transit from China along the Middle Corridor has increased 38-fold.
Second, our task today is not merely to make the corridor faster, but - above all - to make it more predictable, efficient, and sustainable," he said.
Koishibayev added that, in cooperation with China Railways, block-train services are also being developed to help reduce delivery times.
"Currently, transporting a container from China to Europe via the Middle Corridor takes 13–17 days, whereas the maritime route takes 30–45 days. Our goal is to ensure a stable transit time of 10–12 days. That is precisely why we are working on fixed tariffs, a unified digital platform, and the synchronization of operations along the entire route," he emphasized.
The second Azerbaijan International Investment Forum is being held in Baku.
The two-day forum is organized by Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Economy and its subordinate Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Agency (AZPROMO), in strategic partnership with European House – Ambrosetti.
Plenary and panel sessions at the event will address strategic issues including the Middle Corridor, energy and the green transition, artificial intelligence and digital transformation, infrastructure, industry and free economic zones, critical raw materials, agribusiness, financial cooperation, small and medium-sized business development, tourism, real estate and investment in human capital.
