BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 28. The Middle Corridor has the potential to attract private investment, create jobs and diversify the economies of participating countries.
This was stated in the World Bank report “Integration: World-Class Trade Logistics along the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor.”
According to the report, the Middle Corridor is an emerging international trade network connecting two continents and characterized by its length, complexity and fragmentation. Its routes run through Central and East Asia, the South Caucasus, Türkiye and other European countries, and can extend for more than 10,000 kilometers.
“The route is a multimodal freight network combining rail, road and short-sea shipping, as well as connections between maritime and inland ports.
The multimodal nature of transport increases operational complexity compared with the use of a single mode of transport. Depending on the route, the delivery of goods from sender to recipient involves crossing four to five national borders, two changes of railway gauge, up to four transfers between rail and maritime transport, as well as up to 10 procedures for entering or exiting the customs transit regime.
Additional challenges arise from the fragmentation of the corridor, as its operation involves numerous railway companies, shipping lines, port and customs authorities, as well as national and supranational bodies responsible for decision-making and coordination,” the bank notes.
The report emphasizes that ensuring the efficient operation of such a system is one of the most complex challenges in the development of global logistics.
At the same time, according to the World Bank, the development of the Middle Corridor creates significant economic opportunities for the countries through which it passes.
“For the five Central Asian countries, the route provides connectivity to global freight markets and can contribute to the long-term diversification of their economies, provided that complementary measures are implemented beyond the transport and logistics sectors.
For Türkiye and the countries of the South Caucasus, the corridor provides direct connectivity with the markets of Central and East Asia, while for East Asia and the European Union, it represents an additional route for container transportation that can enhance supply-chain resilience, deepen regional integration and improve logistics performance.
For all these countries, the Middle Corridor is a source of economic activity and a potential catalyst for private investment, job creation and cross-border cooperation,” the report says.
According to the World Bank, in the long term, the Middle Corridor could contribute to the emergence of new economic sectors near key transport hubs and trade flows.
The report specifically refers to agricultural processing, mining and mineral processing, light manufacturing and digital logistics.
The World Bank notes that, as a result, the Middle Corridor could evolve from a transport route into a highly efficient economic corridor.
