BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 6. Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan have taken one of the most significant steps toward establishing a new digital route between Asia and Europe.
The completion of the Trans-Caspian fiber optic cable across the Caspian Sea marks far more than the end of another infrastructure project. It effectively lays the foundation for a new digital corridor that complements the Middle Corridor not with cargo, but with data flows.
The subsea cable linking Aktau and Sumgayit will become the first fiber optic connection across the Caspian Sea. Once operational, it will provide a direct high-speed data transmission route between Asia and Europe, enhance the resilience of international connectivity, and create the foundation for the development of cloud services, artificial intelligence, and data centers.
It is no coincidence that digital connectivity has become a strategic priority for the leaders of both countries. Speaking at the Informal Summit of the Organization of Turkic States in Turkistan, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev reaffirmed Baku's commitment to developing a common digital space. "The cooperation with the Turkic states in the area of digital development is progressing successfully. The implementation of the Digital Silk Road project between Europe and Asia is underway. As part of this project, the Trans-Caspian fiber-optic cable line between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan is expected to become operational in the coming months," the president said.
The marine section of the project has already been completed. What remains are the connection of onshore infrastructure, testing, and commercial commissioning, which is expected this autumn.
For his part, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev sees digital infrastructure as one of the pillars of the country's long-term development strategy. "Kazakhstan’s vast energy resources, critical mineral deposits, modern transport corridors, and rapidly expanding digital infrastructure offer unprecedented opportunities to integrate regional markets and innovation ecosystems. To capitalize on these assets, digital transformation has been elevated to a national priority," Tokayev said while addressing the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai.
According to the president, Kazakhstan has designated this year as the Year of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development and has adopted both an Artificial Intelligence Law and a Digital Code.
The alignment of the two countries' strategies is hardly coincidental. Azerbaijan is building the western digital gateway of the Digital Silk Way project, while Kazakhstan is developing its eastern gateway. The Trans-Caspian fiber optic cable will serve as the critical link connecting the two.
The significance of the project extends well beyond telecommunications. The approximately 380-kilometer route is designed to deliver a capacity of more than 400 Tbps with signal latency of around 3.7 milliseconds. The cable incorporates 32 pairs of optical fibers and state-of-the-art signal amplification technologies.
The project is being implemented by CaspiLink B.V., a joint venture equally owned by Kazakhtelecom and AzerTelecom International. According to an initial statement from Kazakh Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry Zhaslan Madiyev, the investment is estimated at around $50.6 million and is being fully financed by the operators without government funding.
The project also carries considerable geopolitical importance. The new route will diversify global data transmission channels, reduce reliance on traditional northern and southern routes, and strengthen the digital dimension of the Middle Corridor. This is why it is already being considered for inclusion in both the Middle Corridor initiative and the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP).
Speaking during a meeting with Nurlan Zhakupov, Chairman of Kazakhstan's sovereign wealth fund Samruk-Kazyna, NEQSOL Holding Board Member Kirill Rubinski said demand for such infrastructure continues to grow. "We see strong demand from international technology companies for new and resilient routes. The Trans-Caspian fiber optic project positions the region as a key hub in the global digital infrastructure network," he said.
According to Rubinski, the new digital artery will also create favorable conditions for attracting international data centers and leading global technology companies.
Digital cooperation between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, however, extends well beyond the construction of the cable itself.
As Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) Secretary-General Deemah AlYahya told Trend, e-commerce already accounts for 14.1 percent of Kazakhstan's retail trade, with the government aiming to increase that figure to 18.5 percent. Kazakhstan also ranked 47th in the 2025 ICT Development Index (IDI). "Kazakhstan is also positioning itself as an important digital connectivity corridor between Asia and Europe. Ongoing investments in fiber-optic infrastructure, data centers, cloud services, and next-generation telecommunications are strengthening the country’s ambitions to become a regional technology and data transit hub," AlYahya said.
Digital transformation is advancing rapidly in Azerbaijan as well. Alongside the construction of international digital infrastructure, Baku is steadily digitizing transport and logistics processes that are directly linked to the operation of the Middle Corridor.
Speaking at the Russia–Islamic World: KazanForum 2026 International Economic Forum, Azerbaijan's Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev said the country is implementing a comprehensive reform of trade and logistics digitalization. "At the end of 2025, President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on the digitalization of processes in transport, logistics, and trade, under which a 'digital single window' system is being developed. The platform will unite all participants in logistics chains and will be integrated with the digital systems of partner countries along the corridors. In parallel, modern tools such as TMS and ERP are being implemented, reducing administrative barriers and increasing transparency," Mustafayev said.
Against this backdrop, cooperation with Kazakhstan is taking on an increasingly practical dimension. The partnership is no longer limited to building a digital backbone across the Caspian Sea. It is now focused on synchronizing digital platforms that will facilitate the movement of goods, documents, and data along the entire corridor.
In an exclusive interview with Trend, Kazakhstan's Vice Minister of Trade and Integration Asset Nusupov said the country sees significant potential for cooperation with Azerbaijan in the digitalization of trade processes. "For Azerbaijan, we see the greatest potential specifically in integrating digital product traceability systems and jointly using electronic document management platforms. This will reduce the time required for goods to pass through Caspian ports and make the route even more competitive," he said.
Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan is therefore entering a new phase. While energy projects and transport corridors once symbolized the partnership, digital infrastructure is rapidly becoming another strategic pillar.
The Trans-Caspian fiber optic cable is more than a physical connection between the two shores of the Caspian Sea. It links two national strategies focused on artificial intelligence, cloud computing, e-commerce, and international data hubs. In doing so, it is positioning cooperation between Baku and Astana as one of the key building blocks of a new digital architecture not only for Central Asia and the South Caucasus, but for the wider Eurasian region as well.
