BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 16. The European Commission intends to attract up to 12 billion euros in public and private investment for the development of the Middle Corridor.
This was stated by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her annual address on the state of the EU.
“Today, I can announce a new international project in the field of transport connectivity. It will directly connect the South Caucasus and Central Asia to the European market, what we call the Middle Corridor,” she said.
According to her, funding is planned to be secured through the Global Gateway initiative: “We intend to attract up to 12 billion euros in public and private investment. Our goal is to diversify routes, triple trade flows, and significantly reduce cargo transit times by 2030,” von der Leyen noted.
She also announced that a regional summit on transport connectivity would be organized jointly with the Prime Minister of Bulgaria.
The Middle Corridor is a transport and trade route passing through a number of countries in the region and connecting Asia with Europe. It serves as an alternative to the traditional Northern and Southern Corridors.
The route begins in China and runs through the countries of Central Asia. It then crosses the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye, before reaching Europe. The Middle Corridor is a land route that bypasses longer sea routes, connecting eastern regions of Asia, including China, with Europe.
