Kazakhstan is strengthening its position on routes between Europe and Asia. The country’s geographical location makes it a key link in international logistics. At the 47th meeting of the Berlin Eurasian Club in Brussels, representatives of Kazakhstan, the European Union and Germany discussed joint projects and the modernization of transport infrastructure. Particular attention was paid to the Middle Corridor. The agreements reached during President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s recent visit to Germany were among the practical outcomes. The parties signed 40 agreements worth $8 billion.
«We are very pleased that this has moved into the phase of concrete implementation. There is German investment, and German companies are showing great interest in using this transport route. Most importantly, this route is not just a link between China and the European Union; it is also a logistical bridge between the region that is becoming increasingly important to the EU,» noted Michael Harms, Managing Director of German Eastern Business Association.
The European Union has also allocated 12 billion euros for the development of the route. However, for businesses, it is not only investment that matters, but also delivery times. The objective is to ensure fast and predictable cargo movement from Asia to Europe.
«The delivery time is currently between 13 and 17 days. We are, of course, striving to further improve our service and reduce it to 10–12 days. For our part, we are meeting our commitments along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route. We have established delivery times from Altynkol to Aktau and from Aktau to Baku, and all these timeframes are being met,» said Kazakh Vice Minister of Transport Damir Kozhakhmetov.
The Middle Corridor is becoming not only a transport route but also a platform for attracting new investment and establishing joint production facilities. Plans include further improvements to port infrastructure, as well as the construction of terminals and logistics centers. These projects could serve as an entry point for European companies into Kazakhstan’s market.
«Kazakhstan plays there a significant role in this Middle Corridor. The logistic projects on the Middle Corridor, it's of course for us interesting, not only to organize projects, but to invest for ourselves together with co-investors. We started with analysis of Constanta, Poti, Baku, and come now to Aktau, Kuryk. So, for us it's interesting, of course, to build there new terminals for container hubs,» said Mirco Nowak, Chairman of the BVL Chapter Eurasia.
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