A Practitioner’s Perspective on the Middle Corridor: Turning an Idea into a Commercial Product
On September 14, a session dedicated to the future of Eurasian transport connectivity took place in Tashkent as part of the inaugural "Central Asia – UK" (C5+UK) Think Tank Forum. Experts from Central Asia, Azerbaijan, and the UK discussed how to transform the Middle Corridor (TMTM) from a strategic concept into a bankable, predictable, and commercially competitive logistics platform.
For the countries of Central Asia and the Caspian basin, the Middle Corridor serves as a vital artery for realizing the "land-linked" concept, transforming the region from an isolated landlocked area into a key bridge connecting the markets of China, the South Caucasus, Turkey, and Europe. Meanwhile, for the UK and European partners, the route’s critical importance is driven by the need to diversify supply chains amidst disruptions in the Red Sea and instability in Eastern Europe.
A special forum panel titled "The Future of Eurasian Connectivity: The Middle Corridor, C6 Geography, and Infrastructure Financing" took a practical approach. The focus was not merely on the physical refurbishment of ports or the laying of railway tracks, but on establishing the necessary institutional framework—ranging from unified digital customs systems to export credit guarantees and international insurance.
A highlight of the session was the presentation by Aknur Saparova, Head of Logistics and International Operations at the Turkmen company Ykjam Hereket. Approaching the Middle Corridor from the perspective of a business actively engaged in transporting heavy equipment for the industrial and energy sectors, she identified the bottlenecks that currently stand between the map on paper and genuine commercial viability.
According to Aknur Saparova, the real test of the Middle Corridor comes down to a single question: can cargo move along it as predictably and reliably as it does via established global routes? So far, the business community’s responses boil down to three key points.
An excessive chain of intermediaries: in practice, before reaching customs, cargo still passes through numerous subcontracted parties—freight forwarders, trucking companies, and intermediary processing agencies. Each additional link creates potential bottlenecks and dilutes accountability. Practical experience among Turkmen logistics specialists shows that reducing the number of operators in the handling chain immediately improves the predictability of transit times.
Trust in digital documents. Countries in the region are actively digitizing customs procedures. Turkmenistan is implementing e-TIR systems and advancing agreements on corridor digitization reached during a quadrilateral meeting of railway authorities (Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and Georgia). Meanwhile, Kyrgyzstan is promoting the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan transport route. However, a digital document is effective only if it is trusted at the border crossing. If an electronic declaration is sent for a manual re-check at a border point, any time savings are negated.
A lack of infrastructure predictability. A telling example from the experience of private operators is the need to build an entirely new border crossing from scratch—solely to transport oversized wind power plant equipment from China to Azerbaijan. This demonstrates that the Middle Corridor is already handling highly complex project cargo; however, the system's capacity limits are still being determined empirically—through trial and error—rather than being calculated during the planning stage.
The Turkmen specialist’s main conclusion is the need to shift from fragmented national logistics initiatives to a unified regional strategy.
A segmental approach to development—whether focusing on Caspian ports, the railway through Kyrgyzstan, or Kazakhstan’s transit hubs—will yield maximum impact only through full integration. The upcoming summit in Avaza will serve as the primary testing ground for such synchronization, with economics and logistics designated as one of the five key agenda items. It is in Avaza that regional leaders can cement the status of the Middle Corridor as a unified, coordinated product.
At the same time, the UK’s role in fostering Eurasian connectivity lies not so much in direct infrastructure financing as in the provision of high-quality institutional tools. These include trade finance and export credit facilities to mitigate risks for pioneering companies; the use of contracts governed by English law to safeguard international transactions; and insurance and risk management mechanisms that enhance the bankability of projects.
"The goal is for a digital document issued in Ashgabat to command the exact same level of institutional trust as one issued in Rotterdam. Once this environment of trust is established, an increase in freight flows will be the inevitable result," concluded Aknur Saparova.
The transport session of the C5+UK forum demonstrated that the Middle Corridor has moved beyond the stage of mere discussions about route development. Businesses and experts across Central Asia are looking to international partners for concrete steps toward the harmonization of regulations, digitalization, and legal frameworks. With its robust port infrastructure in Turkmenbashi and deep integration into Caspian logistics, Turkmenistan is emerging as a key link in this new digital and legal reality.
Bekdurdy Amansaryev, Center for Strategic Studies at the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan
