Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov made a loud statement in Baku during the meeting of heads of government of the Organization of Turkic States. According to scientist and political observer Abulfaz Babazadeh, in fact, Astana for the first time so openly indicated its interest in the formation of a new transport corridor through Azerbaijan, Nakhchivan and Turkey. The author writes in an article published on News.az International that it is not just about a railroad or another infrastructure project. The Zangezur corridor is capable of becoming a key link in the new Eurasian logistics – a route that will connect China, Central Asia, the Caspian region, the South Caucasus and Europe into a single transportation system.
For Kazakhstan, this means dramatically expanding access to Western markets, reducing dependence on a single transit route and turning the country into one of the main land hubs between East and West. Kazakhstani companies are already showing interest in building and modernizing railway infrastructure.
Eurasia’s new logistics
Against the backdrop of global sanctions, trade wars and unstable international routes, the struggle for transportation arteries is becoming the new geopolitics of the 21st century. And Kazakhstan clearly does not want to be left behind,” the author notes.
Today the Middle Corridor – a route through Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey – is rapidly gaining momentum. The volume of transportation along the Trans-Caspian route has almost doubled in recent years, and the container flow is increasing at a record pace. If the Zangezur corridor is added to this system, the route will become even faster, shorter and more profitable for international cargo carriers.
For Azerbaijan, this will strengthen its status as the main transit center of the South Caucasus. For Turkey, it will strengthen the role of the main gateway between Asia and Europe. For Kazakhstan, it is a historic chance to become one of the architects of the new Eurasian economy.
