Кавказ

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.

Head of Insurance at Marine Insurance Services, Stanislav Kovaliov, presented sobering risk statistics at the BLACK SEA TRANSPORT CORRIDORS 2026: PORTS, RAILWAYS, SHIPPING conference. One of the most important facts is that in the event of a maritime accident under the General Average principle, cargo owners may be required to pay 10–20% of the cargo value to cover salvage operations. In such cases, the freight forwarder’s liability does not apply – only direct cargo insurance can provide protection.

Head of Sales at VTG Rail Europe Elena Margl, speaking at the BLACK SEA TRANSPORT CORRIDORS 2026: PORTS, RAILWAYS, SHIPPING conference, presented rail transport as the most stable solution in times of global uncertainty. While air and road transport are affected by fuel price volatility and longer routes, rail offers a transparent cost structure and compliance with emerging carbon regulations.

DP World has introduced a unique war risk insurance solution for cargo owners operating on Middle East routes – a region where traditional insurance instruments have become fragmented, expensive, or entirely unavailable. The new program ensures continuous coverage across the entire supply chain: from sea or air transport to port storage and subsequent inland delivery. This eliminates critical gaps found in standard policies, which typically provide coverage for only a single stage of the transportation process. Thanks to the company’s scale and its partnerships within the global insurance market, the cost of the policy is significantly lower than typical war risk premiums.