The Trans-Caspian and Almaty–Tehran–Istanbul corridors have emerged as key inland routes linking Central Asia with Europe, as well as connecting China to Europe. They are also key to enhancing Central Asia’s economic diversification and regional integration. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), in 2024, total cargo volumes just along the Trans-Caspian Corridor rose by 62% to reach 4.5 million tonnes.
Yet, to fully reap the potential benefits, countries located along these corridors need to overcome structural and operational challenges, including limitations in rail, port and terminal capacity, address border inefficiencies through harmonized solutions, and consider corridor resilience and environmental performance.
Against that background, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Türkiye, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, under the auspices of UNECE and the Economic Cooperation Organization, established a Coordination Committee in 2022 to assess corridor infrastructure and connectivity gaps, promote digitalization of transport documents, improve corridor operational reliability through coordinated tariffs and timetables, enhance border-crossing efficiency and strengthen corridor resilience, sustainability and environmental performance. (....)