Кавказ

The 20th International Seminar on Capacity Building in Trade and Transport Facilitation was held in the capital of Azerbaijan. It was organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) jointly with the Permanent Secretariat of the IGC TRACECA, with the support of the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport of Azerbaijan. Representatives from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, and Turkmenistan, as well as experts from Eastern European countries and the SPECA region, participated in the event. The central theme of the seminar was the digital transformation of multimodal data and document exchange based on UN/CEFACT standards, including the development of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor.

The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway Joint Project Company and a syndicate of banks from the People’s Republic of China signed an agreement to finance the construction of a new international railway line connecting the three countries. According to the Kyrgyz government, the total budget for this strategic infrastructure project is estimated at $4.7 billion.

A meeting of the Working Group on the Development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route was held in Ankara. Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company (ASCO), a subsidiary of AZCON Holding, participated. The company’s delegation was led by Tariel Mirzayev, Deputy Chairman of the Board of ASCO, who presented the carrier’s position on key issues related to the route’s development.

In the first ten months of 2025, 292 container trains departed from China along the Trans-Caspian Route (TITR), a 12% increase compared to the same period last year. According to Samruk-Kazyna JSC, this growth was driven by a well-established terminal infrastructure system and efficient logistics with China.

The aggressive strategy of leading shipping companies – fleet expansion and active acquisition of terminal assets – is forcing other players to increase investment. While the global container fleet grew by an average of 1 million TEU annually from 2016 to 2022, over the past three years, the rate has increased to 2.5 million TEU per year. Peak capacity additions are expected in 2027–2028, when the volumes of new container ships could exceed 4 million TEU annually.

Maersk has opened a new Ground Freight terminal in Savannah, Georgia, expanding the company’s integrated logistics network in the United States. The new 20,000-square-foot facility features three docks and a fleet of on-site vehicles for efficient pickup and delivery services in the local market.

On December 3-4, 2025, the Sheraton Grand Tbilisi Metechi Palace Hotel in Tbilisi hosted a key event in the field of transport logistics in Georgia – the international conference MULTIMODAL TRANSPORT AND TRANSIT FORUM 2025.

Georgian Industrial Group announced plans to launch two sea ferries on the Kuryk (Kazakhstan) – Alyat (Azerbaijan) route in the first half of 2026. The project aims to establish regular transport links across the Caspian Sea and increase cargo traffic along a key link in the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route.

A meeting of the General Assembly of the Founders of the International Association of the Eurasian Transport Route was held in Baku, chaired by Azerbaijan. The meeting was attended by the heads of the railway administrations of Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. Rovshan Rustamov, head of Azerbaijan Railways, announced that the legal registration of the association, headquartered in Baku, had been fully completed, and its establishment opens new opportunities for the development of the southern branch of the Middle Corridor and strengthens Azerbaijan’s role as a key transit bridge between Central Asia and Europe.

The 83rd meeting of the CIS Railway Transport Council was held in Baku, attended by railway administrations from Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Central Asian countries, as well as representatives from Georgia, Iran, Armenia, Latvia, Estonia, and international industry organizations. Azerbaijan Railways (ADY) CEO Rovshan Rustamov noted that transport cooperation plays a key role in the region’s economic integration, and the development of unified railway coordination strengthens the resilience of the CIS transport system.