ASTANA, Kazakhstan, October 17. Kazakhstan and China will jointly ensure the growth of the competitiveness of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR, or Middle Corridor), Trend reports.
In this regard, an agreement was signed between Kazakhstan and China on the development of TITR in Beijing.
In accordance with the agreement, the parties intend to ensure coordination of actions and take the necessary measures to strengthen interdepartmental cooperation to support the stable and effective functioning of TITR.
The document also provides for the study of optimal options for organizing combined transport and the development by both sides of sources of transit cargo to facilitate the passage of trains or vehicles carrying out transit transportation within their own territories.
In addition, the agreement provides for the attraction of transit and foreign trade cargo from China to Europe via the TITR and in the opposite direction; facilitating the financing of port infrastructure projects along the TITR.
At the same time, the document provides for assistance in reducing administrative barriers associated with the processing of multimodal cargo in ports and docking stations; the optimization of logistics and transport operations, reducing transportation time, improving the quality of services provided; participation in forecasting the annual potential cargo turnover of TITR.
The Middle Corridor is a transportation and trade route that connects Asia and Europe, passing through several countries in the region. It is an alternative route to the traditional Northern Corridor and Southern Corridor.
The route starts in China and crosses Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. It then passes through the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye before reaching Europe. The Middle Corridor offers a land route that connects the eastern parts of Asia, including China, with Europe, bypassing the longer maritime routes.