BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 23. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan discussed prospects for increasing cargo transportation along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR, or Middle Corridor).
This was announced by the press service of the Kazakh government, following the meeting between PM Olzhas Bektenov and Uzbekistan's Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov which took place during a visit to the Aktau International Sea Trade Port.
''The visit took place as part of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Bilateral Cooperation between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The prime ministers toured the port's territory and reviewed its infrastructure and cargo-handling facilities,'' the press service says.
According to the Kazakh government, the Aktau International Sea Trade Port is Kazakhstan's largest seaport and one of the key hubs of the Middle Corridor. Covering an area of 44 hectares, the port has an annual cargo handling capacity of about 12 million tons and provides year-round shipping services to the Caucasus, Central Asia and the Caspian region.
Bektenov noted that the development of maritime infrastructure remains one of the government's priorities. He said Kazakhstan completed dredging works at the Kuryk port in 2025, becoming the first Caspian state to do so, while similar works at the Aktau port are expected to be completed by the end of this year. The project is expected to allow fully loaded vessels to enter the port safely, increase throughput capacity and support further expansion of port infrastructure.
Chairman of Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) Yelzhas Otynshiyev said the combined capacity of the Aktau and Kuryk ports currently stands at around 22 million tons per year.
He added that container transit via Kazakhstan's Caspian ports along the Middle Corridor increased 3.8-fold between 2022 and 2025. To support further growth, Kazakhstan is expanding port capacity and upgrading railway infrastructure.
The first phase of the Aktau container hub, with an annual capacity of 140,000 TEUs, has already been commissioned. Following completion of the second phase in 2027–2028, total capacity will increase to 240,000 TEUs. Kazakhstan has also ordered six container vessels, four of which are scheduled for delivery in 2027 and two in 2028.
Meanwhile, modernization of the Shalkar–Beyneu and Beyneu–Mangystau railway sections is nearing completion, which is expected to improve cargo deliveries to the Aktau and Kuryk ports.
The government also noted that cargo handling volumes from Uzbekistan through the Aktau and Kuryk ports increased by more than 60% in 2025, supported by competitive tariffs and the development of railway and port infrastructure.
''President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev attaches priority importance to the development of maritime and railway infrastructure. The Mangystau region is a strategically important border region with significant transit and logistics potential. Our task is to provide Central Asian cargo with fast and reliable access to the markets of the Caucasus, Türkiye and Europe. Kazakhstan is ready to expand the transit of Uzbekistan's export cargo through the ports of Aktau and Kuryk,'' Bektenov said.
Following the visit, the prime ministers instructed Kazakhstan Temir Zholy and Uzbekistan Temir Yullari to develop a joint plan to increase transportation volumes along the route.
