Azerbaijan backs consortium for CASCA+ freight corridor coordination

In a significant move to bolster trade across Eurasia, railway administrations from Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Georgia, and Türkiye convened in Tashkent to discuss the development of the CASCA+ freight corridor as part of the international multimodal route Asia-Pacific Countries - China - Kyrgyzstan - Uzbekistan - Turkmenistan - Azerbaijan - Georgia - Türkiye - Europe, according to Report.

During the meeting, Uzbekistan put forward a proposal to create a consortium that would coordinate the activities of CASCA+. This idea garnered unanimous support from all participants, with other countries expressing their willingness to provide specialists to further develop the corridor.

Additional proposals were made, including the organization of refrigerated container transportation for fruits, vegetables, and perishable goods, as well as the implementation of online monitoring for the location of wagons and containers moving along the corridor.

The CASCA+ initiative, spearheaded by Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Georgia, and Türkiye, connects Central Asia to Turkish Anadolu via the Caspian Sea and the South Caucasus. The first container block train along this route arrived in Baku at the end of 2022, marking a significant milestone in the project's progress.

In related news, plans were announced in March to establish a joint project company for the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway. Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov stated that work is expected to commence in October.