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A meeting dedicated to the implementation of a dredging project within the waters of the Port of Aktau was held in Astana, chaired by Vice-Minister of Transport Zhanibek Taizhanov. The discussion was attended by representatives of “Kazakhstan Temir Zholy” NC JSC, “Aktau International Sea Trade Port” NC JSC, as well as the contracting firm, China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd.

The official commissioning ceremony for the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars (BTK) railway line will take place on June 2 at the Akhalkalaki railway station in Georgia. Representatives from Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey will attend the event. Although the route has been operating in test mode since 2017, its official status as an international transport project is only now being formally established.

The Akhalkalaki–Kars railway route has been officially opened for Armenia’s export and import operations. According to the country’s Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan, the launch of this route marks a significant step for the economy and expands foreign trade opportunities, including direct logistics channels via Georgia and Turkey.

A bilateral meeting took place in Astana between Zhanibek Taizhanov, Vice-Minister of Transport of Kazakhstan, and Sergio Olleta Jose, Head of the Sustainable Transport and Urban Development Unit at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships. The parties focused primarily on the current status and achievements of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, noting the growth in transit traffic, reduced cargo delivery times, and plans for further increasing container transport volumes.

During the period from January to April 2026, the APM Terminals Poti facility at the Port of Poti (Georgia) handled 212.1 thousand TEU. This represents a 7.5% increase compared to the same period in previous years and marks the highest volume recorded in recent years. According to port administration data, 54.5 thousand TEU were handled in January, 45.9 thousand TEU in February, and 52.9 thousand TEU in March, while a record volume of 58.6 thousand TEU was reached in April.

Development Manager at GP Intermodal (part of the GRAMPET Group), Yedil Yelibayev presented impressive growth statistics for the Middle Corridor at the BLACK SEA TRANSPORT CORRIDORS 2026: PORTS, RAILWAYS, SHIPPING conference. Container traffic surged from 40,500 TEU in 2023 to a projected 95,000 TEU in 2026. The number of block trains from China increased by 35% in just one year.

Bucharest, Romania – From May 18 to 20, 2026, the European freight forwarding community will converge in Bucharest for a landmark industry event: the European Freight Forwarders Congress. Held under the prestigious patronage of FIATA, this event combines the 16th SEEFF Congress (South Eastern European Freight Forwarders Association) and the 2nd FIATA REU Field Meeting (Region Europe).

Alexandru Nicola: Deputy Commercial Director of Unicom Tranzit, Alexandru Nicola, brought a dose of self-criticism to the panel discussion of the BLACK SEA TRANSPORT CORRIDORS 2026: PORTS, RAILWAYS, SHIPPING conference, noting that service providers still prevail at conferences, rather than real cargo owners.

Head of Port Development at Mukran, Helmut Seilert, presented a unique concept of connecting two seas at the BLACK SEA TRANSPORT CORRIDORS 2026: PORTS, RAILWAYS, SHIPPING conference.

Director of Strategic Projects and Network Development at Hupac Intermodal S.A. Alberto Grisone, speaking at the BLACK SEA TRANSPORT CORRIDORS 2026: PORTS, RAILWAYS, SHIPPING conference, highlighted a critical issue in Romania’s rail sector – the ongoing decline in transport speed. According to him, while in 2012 a freight train crossed Romania in around 21 hours, today the same transit takes 27–30 hours. He stressed that the industry needs to return to a benchmark of 18 hours in order to make the Constanța corridor truly competitive.