World Bank – Middle Trade and Transport Corridor

A new report by the World Bank highlights the potential benefits of the Middle Corridor, a trade route linking Chinese and European markets via Central Asia and the Caucasus. The report, titled "Middle Trade and Transport Corridor — Policies and Investments to Triple Freight Volumes and Halve Travel Time by 2030", focuses on Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Georgia and identifies priority measures to transform the corridor into a vital trade route. With the right investments and policies, the report suggests that trade volumes could triple and travel time could be halved by 2030. This would create employment opportunities and attract businesses, benefiting local and regional economies. The World Bank is committed to supporting the Middle Corridor in partnership with the governments along the route and other multilateral organizations. The report emphasizes the importance of increasing intra-regional trade between Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Kazakhstan and the European Union, and identifies specific policies and investments needed to meet the demand for transport and support economic development in the region. These include providing logistics solutions along the corridor, streamlining processes and procedures at border crossings, coordinating digitalization efforts, and improving performance at key crossings and ports. The report also recommends establishing a uniform investment prioritizing system to evaluate and prioritize investment opportunities.