Significant additional cargo volumes can be attracted to the Middle Corridor route provided that customs and sanitary procedures are optimized and the quality of service infrastructure is improved, Secretary General of the Permanent Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Commission TRACECA Jasurbek Choriev stated at the EU-Azerbaijan Business Forum in Baku, Report informs.
"There is a significant amount of cargo that could make more active use of the Middle Corridor; however, for this to happen, attention must be paid to customs administration, sanitary control, and establishing a range of related services capable of stimulating the redirection of these additional cargo flows to this route," Choriev noted.
As the TRACECA secretary general emphasized, fully unlocking the corridor's transit potential requires expanding the range of transported goods, including general cargo and industrial equipment. The efficient functioning of the route is also hindered by local infrastructural and logistical bottlenecks, in particular a shortage of ferry vessels on the Black Sea, resulting in road transport downtime at ports lasting several days.
Choriev highlighted that simplifying administrative procedures, introducing mutually recognized electronic digital signatures, and modernizing service operations will create more competitive conditions for shippers along the entire route.