Caucasus

Head of Marketing at the Port of Constanța, Daniel Jarnea, at the BLACK SEA TRANSPORT CORRIDORS 2026: PORTS, RAILWAYS, SHIPPING conference presented a strategic overview of the port’s development as a central hub linking the Rhine-Main-Danube waterway with the new Baltic–Black Sea–Aegean corridor. A key message was the positioning of Constanța as the primary export hub for Ukrainian cargoes and a crucial link in the Middle Corridor.

The international conference BLACK SEA TRANSPORT CORRIDORS 2026: PORTS, RAILWAYS, SHIPPING was held on April 20–22, 2026 in Constanta, Romania, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel – Mamaia Beach.

On April 23–24, 2026, meetings of the Working Group, the Board, and the General Assembly of the International Association “Trans-Caspian International Transport Route” were held in Astana. Participants were presented with a report on the Association’s activities for 2025, which confirmed the route’s steady positive growth trajectory; they also discussed transport plans for 2026 and measures for their implementation.

As part of the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) is implementing new logistics solutions aimed at accelerating container shipping and improving the synchronization of rail and sea flows. In the first quarter of 2026, 125 container trains were transported along the route, a 34.4% increase compared to the same period last year.

In the first quarter, 85 freight trains were dispatched along the Xi’an Trans-Caspian Route of the China-Europe network, a 150% increase compared to the same period last year. The route connects Xi’an in Shaanxi Province with Baku, passing through Kazakhstan and the Caspian Sea, and is part of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company (ASCO), part of AZCON Holding, recorded an increase in ferry cargo volumes in March 2026 compared to the same period last year. Positive dynamics were noted in both railcar and truck transportation.

Minister of Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nurlan Sauranbayev met with Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of the Republic of Armenia David Khudatyan, during which the parties discussed prospects for expanding bilateral cooperation in the transport and logistics sector.

Kazakhstan’s Minister of Transport Nurlan Sauranbayev and Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev, co-chair of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation, held a meeting with business representatives from Kazakhstan and Georgia. The main topic of discussion was strengthening economic cooperation between the countries and expanding practical collaboration in key sectors.

Kazakhstan’s Minister of Transport, Nurlan Sauranbayev, held talks with Georgia’s Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Mariam Kvrivishvili, during which the parties focused on deepening trade and economic cooperation between the two countries. Particular attention was paid to developing cooperation in transport and logistics and improving the efficiency of international freight flows.

The 16th meeting of the Kazakh-Chinese Subcommittee on Railway Cooperation was held in Beijing. The parties discussed the current status and prospects of transportation between the two countries, as well as measures to enhance transit potential. Participants noted the steady growth in freight traffic and the implementation of rail infrastructure modernization projects.