BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 18. Maersk envisions Azerbaijan as a strategically important transit hub, the manager of business development in Central Asia and the Caucasus region of Maersk Irakli Danelia told Trend.
According to him, Maersk continues to strengthen its presence in Central Asia and the Caucasus region, paying special attention to Azerbaijan, which is becoming a critical link in global logistics chains.
“Azerbaijan plays a critical role as a transit country, especially in the context of container transportation. It is through Azerbaijan that key cargo routes from Central Asia to Europe, the US, and Africa pass, as well as the import of goods to the countries of the region. We see Azerbaijan as a strategically important transit hub, especially within the development of the Middle Corridor, which provides rail transportation of goods from China,” he noted.
Danelia emphasized that the Middle Corridor is not only an export and import from Central Asia but also an important route for Chinese cargo flows.
“We are actively developing this corridor, providing the Azerbaijani market with more and more opportunities to integrate into global trade. This year we have organized several thousand container shipments from China through Azerbaijan, and volumes continue to grow every week. Due to high demand, we have launched daily trains from key Chinese cities such as Xi'an, Yiwu, Shenzhou, and Haiwu. In addition, the company plans to continue developing transit opportunities in Azerbaijan, which is rapidly becoming a significant hub for international freight transportation. We see great potential for further growth and are confident that the development of infrastructure and strengthening of ties with other countries will allow Azerbaijan to take an even greater role in global logistics,” he said.
Regarding new areas of cooperation with Azerbaijan, Danelia mentioned that the country faces challenges related to the imbalance between imports and exports.
“Currently, there is a significant asymmetry: import flows far exceed export flows. This is typical not only for Azerbaijan but also for other countries in the region. We see opportunities to work together to improve export potential, but this requires serious macroeconomic reforms and investment in domestic production,” he added.