OMM Newsroom
Uzbekistan’s freight volumes along the Middle Corridor have doubled over the past five years, increasing the importance of Azerbaijan and Baku port on the country’s trade routes to Europe.
According to Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 1.2 million tonnes of freight were transported via the Middle Corridor in 2025, twice the volume recorded five years earlier.
The route has also gained a larger share of Uzbekistan’s trade with the European Union. The Middle Corridor accounted for 28% of the country’s EU-bound freight turnover, up from 12% in 2021.
Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan plan to strengthen transport links
Tashkent and Baku are seeking to strengthen transport links between Central Asia, the South Caucasus and European markets.
Priorities outlined by Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs include accelerating the launch of a joint fleet on the Caspian Sea, connecting the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway to the Middle Corridor, and expanding digital transport systems.
Digital tools such as electronic permits, e-CMR and eTIR are expected to simplify freight operations and improve the efficiency of cross-border trade.
The Middle Corridor is also important for expanding economic ties between Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan. Trade between the two countries has tripled over the past five years, and they aim to increase it to $1 billion by 2030.
The countries also operate a joint investment company with authorized capital of $500 million.
IMF calls for simpler border procedures
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has described the Middle Corridor as one of the key routes linking the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Subir Lall, deputy director of the IMF’s Middle East and Central Asia Department, said stronger regional transport networks depend not only on physical infrastructure but also on “soft infrastructure.”
Lall warned that even well-developed roads and transport links can be slowed by lengthy customs procedures and border-clearance requirements.
He called on countries along the route to coordinate their rules and procedures to reduce delays, improve efficiency and ensure that the economic benefits of regional connectivity are more widely shared.
Uzbekistan has also described Azerbaijan’s participation in the Consultative Meetings of Central Asian Heads of State as a step toward building a more integrated transport network across Eurasia.
