World’s largest container shipping company MSC Group enters Kazakh market

The cooperation aims to strengthen East-West transport connectivity and diversify export flows from Central Asia to Türkiye and Europe.

The project follows the June 2026 meeting between President of Kazakhstan Kassym‑Jomart Tokayev and MSC Senior Vice President Eduard Sigrist in Brussels, with support from the President’s Executive Office. Discussions focused on boosting containerization, developing the Middle Corridor, leveraging the Kuryk port, and expanding MSC’s presence in Kazakhstan. Tokayev has previously named the Middle Corridor a strategic priority for the country.

As part of the initiative, partners will develop Sarzha Logistics as a strategic platform for container flows in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. The project will combine SEMURG’s local infrastructure with MEDLOG’s global logistics network, covering Middle Corridor development, off‑dock terminals, dry ports, rail, and intermodal facilities.

The partnership will be based on SEMURG’s infrastructure assets at the Kurik port on the Caspian Sea. Development of the Sarzha Caspian cluster envisions up to 5 million tons of additional annual cargo‑handling capacity, including container throughput of up to 110,000 TEU.

“We are pleased to see that, following the dialogue between President Kassym‑Jomart Tokayev and the leadership of MSC Group in Brussels, our cooperation is moving into practical implementation. This is yet another sign of confidence in Kazakhstan and proof of the ability of international and local partners to jointly build a competitive business,” said Nurzhan Marabayev, CEO of SEMURG INVEST.

For its part, MEDLOG will integrate Kazakh routes into its international network of more than 470 logistics facilities handling around 10 million TEU annually. MSC’s broader network connects the region to 520 ports in 155 countries worldwide.

MEDLOG Poti LLC Managing Director Mukhran Dekanadze emphasized: “Kazakhstan is gaining importance in supply chains between East and West and in regional logistics. This partnership allows us to develop new container and multimodal services linking Central Asia through the Caspian Sea and Georgia with Turkiye, Europe, and our global network.”

The launch of this partnership marks a significant stage in the transformation of Eurasia’s logistics map. The synergy of Kazakhstan’s Caspian port infrastructure and MSC Group’s global logistics capacity not only opens guaranteed alternative routes for Central Asian exporters but also consolidates Kazakhstan’s status as a key, reliable transit hub on the continent.

Earlier, Qazinform reported that First Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Nurlybek Nalibayev participated in the Global Sustainable Transport Forum in Beijing. The forum participants noted the growing role of TITR in the international cargo transportation system, transforming into a vital transport corridor linking China and Europe.