The Middle Corridor, also called TITR (Trans-Caspian International Transport Route), is a trade route from Southeast Asia and China to Europe via Kazakhstan, Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.[1] It is an alternative to the Northern Corridor, to the north through Russia, and the Ocean Route to the south, via the Suez Canal. Geographically, the Middle Corridor is the shortest route between Western China and Europe.[2] It is undergoing major developments in parts, with the Trans-Kazakhstan railroad completed in 2014 and the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars (BTK) railway operational in 2017.[3]

In 2022, the Middle Corridor's cargo doubled to 1.5 million tons, while the Northern Route's shipping volume declined by 34%. However, obstacles to the further use of the Middle Corridor include the limited capacities of seaports and railways, the absence of a unified tariff structure and single operator, and the alignment of geopolitics along the route.[4]

References

  1. ↑ Kenderdine, Tristan (2021-05-27). Middle Corridor—Policy Development and Trade Potential of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route. Asian Development Bank.
  2. ↑ Ziomecki, Mariusz (2022-08-29). "Central Asia's Middle Corridor gains traction at Russia's expense". GIS Reports. Retrieved 2023-09-12.
  3. ↑ "Russia's War on Ukraine and the Rise of the Middle Corridor as a Third Vector of Eurasian Connectivity". Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP) (in German). doi:10.18449/2022c64/. Retrieved 2023-09-12.
  4. ↑ Jafarova, Nigar (2023-05-25). "The rise of the Middle Corridor". FrontierView. Retrieved 2023-09-12.
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