The Caspian Sea, situated at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, emerges as a linchpin in the geopolitical landscape of Central Asia. Bounded by Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Azerbaijan, this expansive inland body of water holds the distinction of being the largest enclosed sea globally.
Azerbaijani airlines paid Armenia about 90 thousand euros for flights to Nakhchivan and back in 2023, reports Sputnik Armenia, citing the Armenian Civil Aviation Committee.
The first Stadler FLIRT diesel trains have been delivered to Azerbaijan, presented at the Baku station, this is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.
The Rasht-Astara railway line is a key missing link along the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), which aims to connect Russia and India. According to Iran’s Minister of Roads and Urban Development, construction of this section should start in early 2024.
Rail freight volumes between China and Azerbaijan for the first 11 months of 2023 increased by 47 per cent compared to the same period last year.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan recently presented the "Crossroads of Peace" initiative at the Tbilisi Silk Road Forum held at the end of October. Alongside other regional figures like Georgia's Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Azerbaijan's Prime Minister Ali Asadov, Pashinyan outlined his vision for regional collaboration.
Central Asia-Caucasus (CACI) Institute held discussions on the viability of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) on Dec. 5. The performance of a transportation corridor linking Europe to Asia through the Caucasus and Central Asia (CCA) depends on critical investments in trade route diversification, the road and port transshipment improvement, and resolving operational inefficiency.
Russia’s war on Ukraine brought a new perspective for the Middle Corridor, but policy shifts and investment are needed to respond to the new demand and to support economic development in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Georgia.
The intermodal specialist has joined forces with Maersk and Cosco to realise new projects for container shipments via the sea route.
After taking delivery of its first B777F and ordering five more triple-seven freighter aircraft and two A350F, the Azeri cargo airline is now increasingly focusing on expanding its ground infrastructure.
Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations are currently at their lowest point. Moscow, Brussels, and Washington tracks have all stalled, with no resumption in sight.
Measures are being taken to increase cargo transportation through the seaports of Aktau and Kuryk to develop transportation in the Trans-Caspian direction, Minister of Transport of Kazakhstan Marat Karabaev said at a roundtable on global investment on November 17.
An international scientific and practical conference on “International Transport and Logistics Corridor: Development Impulses from Zangilan” has kicked off in the city of Zangilan.
AZAL Azerbaijan Airlines (J2, Baku Heydar Aliev International) has signed a wet-lease agreement with Lithuania’s GetJet Airlines (GW, Vilnius) for three Airbus A320 aircraft, which it will deploy for the duration of this winter season’s operations.
In recent years, economic cooperation between Azerbaijan and China has expanded and led to noticeable development in all areas. Azerbaijan has been supporting the Chinese "Belt and Road", which strengthens ties between the two countries and creates new opportunities for cooperation in various fields.
AsstrA is represented in Europe, the CIS, Asia, and the USA and intends to enter the top 10 logistics providers in Europe in terms of turnover.
After a break since 2019, and with the added challenges caused by the pandemic and global politics, the two-day long Caspian Cargo Summit at JW Marriott Absheron came back strong, reigniting the enthusiasm for international cargo transportation.
On 23-25th October, Silk Way West Airlines, the leading cargo airline in the Caspian and Central Asian region, hosted this year’s edition of the Caspian Air Cargo Summit at the JW Marriott Absheron Hotel Baku.
Imports and exports of containerised goods via rail have been surging in Azerbaijan in the first three quarters of 2023. This was mentioned by ADY Container, which operates all container transportation within the country.
Construction of a road from Azerbaijan to its exclave Nakhchivan through Iranian territory has begun.
The "Zangezur Corridor" is moving to the territory of Iran. The groundbreaking ceremony for a highway bridge between Azerbaijan and Iran was held in Zangilan, near the village and border outpost of Agbend.
ÖBB Rail Cargo Group is expanding its Eurasian network, focusing on Central Asia. The Austria-based company now serves several markets in the region, offering two different connection routes that follow the Middle Corridor.
The Central Asian region needs a new geopolitical axis and pragmatic partnership format to decrease dependence on one market, namely Russia and China.
After a long time, Maersk returned to the forefront of Eurasian connections. The global shipping player launched a new intermodal service connecting the port of Poti in Georgia with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan using the Middle Corridor. The service will run on a weekly basis and could expand to other countries in the region.