BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 6. The capabilities of existing Caspian ports should be expanded, and coordination and operational efficiency should be improved along the Middle Corridor for its development, instead of building additional ports on the sea, Vice President for Europe at Hamburg Port Consulting (HPC), Frank Busse, said at the German-Azerbaijani Strategic Partnership and Connectivity Conference held in Baku on Tuesday, Trend's correspondent reports from the event.
According to him, Transport and logistics companies in the Caspian region, such as Azerbaijan Railways, the Port of Baku, Rhenus, and Silk Way, are interested in developing freight transport along the Middle Corridor.
"We have the funding, the technology for digitalization, and the know-how regarding this process. What we need now is execution. Sustainable growth and reliable, stable development must be ensured along the corridor," said Busse.
The HPC representative noted that, at this stage, there is no need for the construction of additional ports on the Caspian Sea.
"We don't need additional ports on the Caspian Sea. However, existing ports must compensate for certain shortcomings of the Middle Corridor compared to the Northern Corridor," he emphasized.
Busse noted that the Northern Corridor once handled up to 1.5 million containers of cargo. In contrast, the Middle Corridor faces challenges such as disruptions at various ports and within railway systems, as well as issues arising from differing railway gauge standards.
"This must be offset by high-capacity railways and ports. We have heard about the development plans for the Baku port. Similar development needs to take place at every port, and all of this must be carried out in a coordinated manner," the company official noted.
According to him, the development of the ports of Aktau, Kuryk, and Turkmenbashi must be aligned with the development of the Baku port. At the same time, Black Sea ports and railway connections via Türkiye must also be taken into account in the overall development of the corridor.
"Development is good, but it must be coordinated. I believe this is one of the key takeaways from the discussions," he added.
The HPC representative said that large-scale investments are planned along the Middle Corridor. According to him, the total volume of planned investments for the corridor amounts to billions of euros.
"Everyone is ready for this; everyone wants to move forward. We simply need to make it happen. Currently, there are only a few major logistics companies actively operating along the corridor, and I believe there is room for more," he said.
Busse added that the development of the Middle Corridor has generated significant interest within the logistics and port industries. "We are a consulting firm based in Germany with a staff of approximately 100, specializing in the development of port and rail terminals. We currently receive inquiries almost every week regarding the preparation of projects along the Middle Corridor. These cover a wide range of areas, from terminal development to equipment procurement and the implementation of IT systems," he noted.
According to the HPC representative, a comprehensive software project linked to the opportunities created by the Middle Corridor has also been developed for Georgia.
"There is currently significant momentum and opportunity surrounding the Middle Corridor. I believe we must capitalize on this in a sustainable, purposeful, and coordinated manner," Busse emphasized.
