Caspian Sea transit remains key challenge for Middle Corridor

One of the main challenges facing the Middle Corridor is the transit of cargo through the Caspian Sea, said John Braeckeveldt, Regional Manager for the Caucasus and Central Asia at Belgium's Gosselin Group.

According to Report, he made the remarks at the "Black Sea-Caspian Logistics Forum 2025: Corridors, Cargo, Infrastructure" conference held in Baku.

Brekeveldt emphasized that Azerbaijan clearly understands this issue and is taking important steps to address it.

"I believe that it is currently impossible to implement the entire Middle Corridor project without Azerbaijan. Therefore, Azerbaijan can play a leading role in uniting all participating countries and ensuring the project's successful implementation," he said.

The Middle Corridor is an international transport route passing through China, Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, extending to Europe via Türkiye.

Official data shows that in 2024, cargo shipments via the Middle Corridor increased by 62%, reaching 4.5 million tons. In 2025, this figure is forecast to rise to 5.2 million tons, with 4.2 million tons passing through the territories of participating countries. Of this, 2.5 million tons account for dry cargo (96,000 TEU) and 1.7 million tons for oil.

Projections indicate that by 2027, the Middle Corridor's annual capacity could reach 10 million tons.