Kazakhstan aims to become Eurasia's logistics hub, with implications for the Middle Corridor

Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said in an address to the nation on October 28 that the country should capitalize on growing freight traffic between China and Europe to become Eurasia's leading logistics center. He stressed that Kazakhstan should not remain merely a transit territory but should become a hub organizing international cargo flows. The Bakhty–Ayagoz railway line, set to open in 2027, will increase annual freight capacity with China by 20 million tons, while the Aral–Caspian highway, construction of which began in August, is expected to shorten the Trans-Caspian route by about 1,000 km and cut delivery time by three days. These projects also carry economic significance for Azerbaijan, since one of the Middle Corridor's main routes runs from Kazakhstan's Aktau and Kuryk ports across the Caspian Sea to Baku, then onward to Georgia and Turkey. According to Kazakhstan's data, Middle Corridor freight volumes rose 30% and transit container shipments from China to the West rose 64% in the first nine months of 2026, while Azerbaijan's transit cargo volume grew 14.5% to over 12 million tons. On October 15, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan signed a new cooperation agreement on developing the Middle Corridor.