Logistics-Transport10- Page

Azerbaijan is developing into a crucial transport node. In 2022, Azerbaijan Railways (ADY) saw a considerable increase in cargo transport in both East-West and North-South directions.

While it was fear of Russia that prevented the Central Asian countries from showing an interest in the Middle Corridor, it is ironically the same Russian factor that has today led to the reinvigoration of this alternative to the Northern Corridor.

The interview of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev given to the local TV channels yesterday offered unique insights into how Azerbaijan will proceed in many economic and political aspects in the next years.

“Discussions about the Trans-Caspian pipeline have been going on for many years, but there is no result yet. The total throughput capacity of the Trans-Caspian pipeline is estimated at 30 billion cubic meters of gas. There are several key issues for the implementation of this project, one of which is who will finance this project,” said President Ilham Aliyev in his interview with local TV channels.

“Zangezur Corridor is not only an economic and transport project for us, it is also a strategic project. We are sure that the realization of this project is our natural right,” said President Ilham Aliyev as he was interviewed by local TV channels.

“We have been implementing projects in the field of transport for many years. The Russia-Ukraine war has enhanced the importance of our work,” said President Ilham Aliyev as he was interviewed by local TV channels.

Representatives of Azerbaijan, Iran and Russia will discuss the construction of the international transport corridor (ITC) "North - South" and the project of the Rasht-Astara railroad in Baku next week, Iranian media report.

Silk Way West Airlines has flown 100 yaks more than 2,000 kilometres from Kyrgyzstan to Azerbaijan as part of a wildlife reintroduction project.

On December 13, 2022, the First Trilateral Summit of the Heads of State of Azerbaijan, Turkiye and Turkmenistan was held in Ashgabat.

The governments of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, and Kazakhstan earlier in the year signed a declaration on improving the transportation potential throughout the region. 

Georgia’s Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Levan Davitashvili, and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alexander Khvtisiashvili, visited Aktau, Kazakhstan, with a delegation to meet with representatives of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Turkey and discuss the development of the Trans-Caspian Middle Corridor.

The volume of cargo passing through the Middle Corridor this year will be six times higher than last year, said Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu on Friday

In light of Russia’s increasing isolation from global markets due to a series of Western-led sanctions, the development of functional, secure, and integrated freight railway networks between Europe and Asia, beyond the territory of the Russian Federation, has come to dominate the discourse over the past several months.

Azerbaijan sees the Middle Corridor project as another opportunity to boost fruitful partnerships with China, Kazakhstan, and other parts of the landlocked Central Asian region.

Moscow’s efforts to promote the development of a north-south trade corridor through the Caucasus and to use Iran to circumvent Western sanctions have given Tehran a new and expanded opportunity to take a leading role in the South Caucasus.

NAC Kazatomprom said it is working to increase the 3500 tU quota limit on its trans-Caspian route, an alternative to shipment via St Petersburg.

A high-functioning Middle Corridor would give the whole of Europe resilient and diversified supply chains.

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, the push to evade Western sanctions accelerates, and Iran seems willing to assist the Kremlin.

The signing ceremony of the declaration on the development of the North-South International Transport Corridor following the first Azerbaijan-Russia-Iran trilateral meeting was held in Baku.

For the first time since Azerbaijan company ADY Container added the Black Sea feeder services to its portfolio, Central Asian cargo found its way to Europe using it.

A tripartite group with the participation of the vice-premiers of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia is dealing with the issues of unblocking trade and economic communications in the South Caucasus, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said after talks with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir Abdollahian.

Arrangements have been agreed for another meeting between the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan, in Brussels on Wednesday, through the good offices of Charles Michel, the president of the European Council.

Currently, two new routes from Central Asia to western seaports are being used, albeit with restrictions – the first via the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan and Georgia to the Black Sea, and the second by land via Iran and Turkey to the Mediterranean and Black seas.

During his working visit to Baku (Azerbaijan), Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan Bakyt Torobaev got acquainted with the activities of AqriBioEkoTex LLC, which produces organic, organomineral and bio fertilizers, as well as soil microorganisms.