BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 7. Boosting the efficiency of the Middle Corridor would enable the European Union to speed up and stabilize the flow of goods, including critical raw materials (CRM), while deepening its connectivity with export markets across Eurasia, an EU-funded meta-analysis stated, Trend reports.
The assessment is wrapped up in an EU-backed meta-study, which highlights that even with recent strides, the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor (TCTC) still grapples with operational hurdles. These consist of piecemeal logistics, numerous border hurdles, and scant digital advancement.
“Studies by international financial institutions (IFI) consistently emphasize that ‘soft’ bottlenecks, such as harmonized tariffs, digitalization, and coordinated management, are just as critical as gaps in ‘hard’ infrastructure,” the study says.
For the EU, boosting the corridor’s efficiency would pave the way for quicker and more dependable supplies of goods, including CRM, while opening doors to export markets across Eurasia.
“By supporting priority projects identified in the expansion plans of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) and other regional strategies, the EU can help unlock the full potential of the corridor, strengthen supply chain resilience, and promote mutually beneficial trade,” the study notes.
At the EU level, strategic priorities for transport infrastructure are defined through TEN-T, including its planned extensions into neighboring regions. Several TEN-T expansion projects are contributing to improved connectivity along the TCTC, giving strategic priority to key investments across the corridor.
“The TEN-T investment action plan for the Eastern Partnership, originally developed in 2018, was updated in 2025 to reflect changing geopolitical realities and shifts in national priorities, with particular emphasis on Ukraine and Moldova. It is also worth noting that, although the Middle Corridor is not included in the list of TEN-T extensions, in light of recent geopolitical developments in the South Caucasus, the corridor could gain operational benefits from the creation of resilience-enhancing branches through the South Caucasus, including the restoration of links between Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Türkiye. This could further diversify trade routes and potentially ease congestion at overloaded sections,” the study concludes.
According to the report, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has meanwhile identified 33 priority investments in “hard” infrastructure in Central Asia needed to increase capacity and efficiency along the Middle Corridor. The World Bank has also outlined the main bottlenecks and investment needs that must be addressed by 2030 to ensure the corridor’s long-term viability.
The Middle Corridor is a transport and trade route running through several countries in the region, linking Asia and Europe as an alternative to the traditional Northern and Southern corridors. The route begins in China, passes through Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, crosses the Caspian Sea, and continues through Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye before reaching Europe.
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