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Azerbaijan expands Middle Corridor ties with Central Asia
Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan plan a joint trans-Caspian cargo fleet, along with tariff and transit simplifications, to cut costs and transit times for Uzbek exports to Europe.
Azerbaijan is accelerating its push to expand Middle Corridor trade links across the Caspian Sea, announcing new initiatives with Central Asian partners this summer, OilPrice reports. The goal is to improve energy cooperation and increase regular cargo flows between the region and wider export markets.
In late June, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan signed agreements aimed at strengthening energy cooperation and enabling a regular movement of goods between the two countries. Since the start of July, Baku has launched similar efforts with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to develop transport and logistics arrangements along the route.
According to an interview published by Report.az, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan intend to build and operate a joint trans-Caspian cargo fleet, while streamlining tariff rules and transit procedures for seaborne cargo traffic. The initiatives are also intended to improve multimodal transport efficiency, make logistics chains more sustainable, and reduce transport costs for exporters.
The same source says officials are planning a joint logistics hub near Baku’s port that connects to Azerbaijan’s rail network, with the aim of reducing transit times for Uzbek goods headed to European markets. Uzbek-Azerbaijani trade volume surged by almost 43 percent during the first part of the period referenced in the article.