Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor – strategic opportunity for Uzbekistan
Tashkent hosted a Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor and Connectivity Investors Forum, UzA reports.
The event brought together officials, experts, and specialists from the European Union, the Black Sea region, and Central Asia.
In their speeches, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan Jamshid Khodjayev, European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Síkela, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Marta Kos, and others emphasized that the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor is a key infrastructure initiative of strategic importance to the Central Asian states. It will play an essential role in enhancing Uzbekistan’s transit and logistics potential and in transforming the country into a central international transport hub connecting East and West.
Experts at the forum noted that the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor is regarded as the main initiative of the European Union’s Global Gateway investment strategy in the region. Today, the corridor is being shaped as a key route linking China, the Middle East, and Central Asia with Europe. It is expected that by 2030, the annual volume of cargo transported through the Middle Corridor will reach 10-11 million tons.
According to Minister of Transport Ilkhom Mahkamov, one of the priority areas outlined in the Uzbekistan 2030 Strategy is the significant expansion of the country’s transit and logistics potential.
Special attention at the forum was devoted to cooperation between the parties. Uzbekistan and the EU are actively participating in the development of this corridor. It was noted that in 2024, cargo transport along the Trans-Caspian route demonstrated stable growth, exceeding 1 million tons, five times the volume recorded in 2019.
As the Minister of Transport of France Philippe Tabarot emphasized, cooperation among all parties is especially important for advancing this sector.
As part of the forum, thematic sessions were held on the coordination of the transport and logistics regulatory framework, attracting investment in infrastructure, and the digitalization of trade routes.
To note, Georgia, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Romania to sign Caspian-Black Sea corridor agreement.
