Caucasus

Kazakhstan’s Minister of Transport, Nurlan Sauranbayev, spoke at the session “The Middle Corridor: From Reliability to Influence” at the 5th Tbilisi Silk Road Forum, which brought together approximately 2,000 representatives of governments, businesses, and international organizations. Discussions focused on the development of transport and trade links, digital transformation, and investment opportunities in the region.

ASCO, a subsidiary of AZCON Holding, hosted a meeting with a delegation from the classification society Türk Loydu, led by Chairman of the Board Oral Erdoğan. The parties discussed the current state and development prospects of Azerbaijan’s maritime transport, as well as opportunities for cooperation in shipping and vessel classification.

In the first seven months of the year, rail freight volumes along the New Silk Road fell by 25.4% year-on-year to 170,700 TEU. According to the Eurasian Rail Alliance Index, the bulk of freight continues to be shipped from China to Poland, but volumes there also fell by 17% to 138,800 TEU.

A roundtable discussion was held at JSC NC Kazakhstan Temir Zholy with representatives of the Georgian Railway (GR), Georgian terminals and ports (APM Terminals, Pace Georgia), and Kazakhstani shippers. The discussion brought together major exporters of oil and petroleum products, metals, grain, and other commodities that use routes through Georgia.

ASCO, a subsidiary of AZCON Holding, transported 7 million tons of cargo in the first nine months of 2025, a 10% increase compared to the same period last year. This growth was driven by robust operations by the company’s tanker and dry bulk fleets.

During Kazakhstan’s Transport Week in Almaty, the heads of Georgian and Azerbaijani railways signed a memorandum on the launch of regular container train services linking ports on the Black and Caspian Seas. The new Batumi–Poti–Tbilisi–Absheron–Sumgait–Alat route will connect the two countries’ key sea and dry ports, including the Tbilisi Multimodal Terminal, the first phase of which was commissioned in June 2025.

Rovshan Rustamov, Chairman of the Board of Azerbaijan Railways (ADY), participated in the panel discussion “Development of Eurasian Railway Infrastructure” at the 7th International Forum “New Silk Road” in Kazakhstan. Discussions focused on the integration of the Middle Corridor, modernization of ports and railways, increasing transit potential, and technological upgrades to transport infrastructure.

At the 1st Azerbaijan International Investment Forum, held in September 2025, a World Bank representative stated that approximately $28 billion would be required to develop the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) over the next 15 years. Of this, $25 billion is planned for modernizing rail infrastructure and $1.8 billion for developing port capacity. The route’s main bottleneck remains the junction of sea and rail transport due to limited capacity and differences in infrastructure across participating countries.

During Transport Week in Almaty, Rovshan Rustamov, Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways, Lasha Abashidze, CEO of Georgian Railways, and Ufuk Yalçın, Chairman of the Board and CEO of TCDD Taşımacılık, signed a Memorandum of Cooperation to organize freight transportation via the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars (BTK) railway. The document aims to increase the route’s competitiveness, attract additional freight traffic by optimizing delivery times, ensure stable transportation conditions, and implement transparent tariffs.

The latest Maersk Global Market Update notes that Chinese exports continue to drive growth in global container shipping. In the first half of 2025, China’s share of global trade reached 37%, with shipments to Latin America, Africa, and Europe growing significantly. In Latin America, China’s share increased from 27% in 2019 to 38% in 2025, in Africa from 32% to 39%, and in Europe, the share of Chinese goods in containerized imports rose to 40%. The main demand is driven by technology, mechanical engineering, metallurgy, and chemicals.