Karabayev: Middle Corridor unlocks major prospects for Kazakhstan's transport sector

The Middle Corridor is opening promising opportunities for Kazakhstan's transport sector, Minister of Transport Marat Karabayev said during the panel session "New Silk Roads: Mapping the Future of Global Trade" held in Astana.

Report quotes Karabayev as saying the significance of the Middle Corridor is growing rapidly. While only about 800,000 tons of cargo were transported via this route annually three years ago, that figure has now reached 4.5 million tons.

"We have our first major contract, under which goods are transported from the East to Europe, and the volume of these goods is set to increase tenfold by 2029. These are traditional container freight items—exports of metals, steel, aluminum, and copper. This is a great opportunity for our domestic producers to export their goods to Europe," Karabayev said.

The minister added that Kazakhstan is currently promoting the use of this corridor for oil transportation as well.

He noted that the goal is to increase the total cargo volume along the Middle Corridor to 10 million tons per year within the next three years.

"This will be a highly valuable corridor, offering a promising future for Kazakhstan’s transport sector—not only in terms of exports but also in providing a key transit route for goods, which is equally important," Karabayev emphasized.

The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), also known as the Middle Corridor, is an international route that runs from China through Kazakhstan, across the Caspian Sea, and via Azerbaijan and Georgia to Europe. It is increasingly viewed as an alternative to traditional transport routes, particularly in the context of global geopolitical shifts and the reorientation of logistics chains.