The analytical and consulting platform Elevate Crossroads, specializing in the South Caucasus and the Black Sea region, recently presented recommendations with a specific roadmap for a three-fold increase in cargo transportation along the Middle Corridor (Trans-Caspian Transport Route).

It is noteworthy that ten recommendations affected Kazakhstan, Georgia, Turkey and even Europe. Azerbaijan is not mentioned. But not because analysts do not attach importance to our country, but because the Azerbaijani side has provided all the necessary conditions for international transit through its territory. Azerbaijan is the strongest link in the logistics chain running from East to West.

Azerbaijan's role as a key participant in the Middle Corridor is discussed at almost all international meetings where logistics is discussed in today's difficult situation on the continent. In terms of transport connectivity, it would not be an exaggeration to state that all roads lead through Azerbaijan. This is not a figurative expression, but a statement of reality. And this contributes to the constant growth of interest in the country and its opportunities. 

The geopolitical upheavals that Eurasia is experiencing today are forcing Europe to pay more and more attention to the South Caucasus. Recently, the possibilities of integrating logistics routes in Eurasia have become more frequently discussed, which is important for Europe in conditions when the rapid circulation of the traditional northern route continues to move away.

Recently, an international round table was held in Kiev on the topic of interaction between the Intermarium project and Asia.

According to experts, the interaction between the Middle Corridor (Trans-Caspian International Transport Route) and the Intermarium project (Intermarium, Three Seas Initiative) is one of the most promising areas for the formation of a new Eurasian logistics architecture. Although Intermarium is more of a geopolitical project based on concern for the physical security of the countries of Eastern and Central Europe, nowadays it has transformed into an economic and infrastructural partnership of the EU countries. As such, the interests of this project and the Middle Corridor overlap.

As you know, the Middle Corridor connects China with the European Union through Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey. The Intermarium project unites the countries between the Baltic, Black and Adriatic Seas in order to develop transport, energy and digital infrastructure along the North-South axis. In this case, this intra-European route should be distinguished from the North-South corridor running from the borders of Northern Europe to the Persian Gulf.

Although Intermarium is only a European project, its integration with the Middle Corridor has great prospects. These two routes complement each other. Let's imagine that the cargo is shipped from China, passes through Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and gets through the Black Sea ports of the latter, say, to Romania. Romania, being a member of the Intermarium project, transits goods further along the chain. Poland, Hungary or Slovakia can become the same points of intersection of routes.

For Azerbaijan, the combination of projects opens up additional opportunities. Our country acts as the main hub of the Middle Corridor due to the availability of all necessary infrastructure, including a powerful commercial seaport in Alat, the modern Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway (BTK) and the largest merchant fleet on the Caspian Sea. Moreover, Azerbaijan builds the vessels itself, which raises its price even higher.

The connection of the Middle Corridor and Intermarium will allow the country to go beyond the regional transport player and become part of the pan-European logistics network. Azerbaijan has always advocated and continues to advocate for the expansion of connectivity in Eurasia and the creation of alternative routes to traditional routes. This allows trading not to depend on any players and not to stop in case of geopolitical problems. The events of recent years make it possible to once again draw the attention of Azerbaijan's European partners to how far-sighted the decisions made by Baku and underestimated by Europe were. The same BTK road.

The possibilities of integration with the Middle Corridor for access to Asia have become critically relevant for the Intermarium area after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine and the breakdown of traditional Eurasian logistics. And the destabilization in the Middle East and the war between the United States and Iran have led to serious risks for international shipping routes. And international trade began to move to the "land" again. And what is important is that in fact, there is nothing new in the interest of Europeans in our region. The situation is simply returning to its historical course.

As he said in an interview with Day.According to Azerbaijani political scientist and historian Rizvan Huseynov, Azerbaijan and the South Caucasus as a whole have served as natural hubs for transit routes in Eurasia throughout history. These routes went from China through Turkestan to Europe and from the north, from modern Russia towards the Persian Gulf. Today, these routes are called North-South and West-East.

"As in our days, Azerbaijan, or even more precisely, Shirvan, has historically been the natural intersection of all these paths. This was also the case during the Silk Road, when silk was a strategic commodity, playing the same role as oil and gas today. The demand for silk was growing, Azerbaijan was a transit hub for silk caravans moving west from China and Turkestan (present-day Central Asia), and also produced silk itself. That is, he traded and provided transit. It was an important source of income and, at the same time, the cause of endless wars and conflicts that were fought for and around Azerbaijan.

The situation changed when the great maritime trade routes became the main logistics system in the world. After the great geographical discoveries, after the creation by Europeans of stable maritime trade routes from Asia and Africa to Europe, the importance of land routes began to weaken. The silk factor gradually faded away.

There were big wars in the region. In the end, tsarist Russia took control of the Caucasus, cut off its transit opportunities and turned it into a dead end. Azerbaijan has lost the opportunity for a stable wide access to the territories of modern Iran, Turkiye, and Turkestan.

However, today we are witnessing how the natural transit role of the South Caucasus and, in particular, Azerbaijan is being restored. Those countries that have historically carried out transit through our territory are also being connected to the region-wide road network, and network transport relations are being restored in the space from China to Europe, including Central Asia and the South Caucasus. Eastern Europe is being connected to the network as part of the Intermarium project, also called Intermarium and Trimarium. This project connects the Baltic, Adriatic and Black Seas and 12 countries.

We can confidently say that historical onshore transit capacities are being restored today. The main reason for returning to the "land" is that the safety and stability of maritime transport routes is becoming more and more problematic. We see the conflicts taking place in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and potential risks to safe navigation in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Strait of Malaka, and the Red Sea. The threat to the security and stability of maritime supplies leads to the strengthening of overland transit routes. And this gives Azerbaijan and other countries in the region the opportunity to regain their role on the largest land transit routes in Eurasia. Which is what is being done today."