Baku: Georgian expert Lasha Amashukeli, Vice President at the LydeOil, has underscored the potential of the Middle Corridor as a reliable multimodal trade system. Amashukeli highlighted the coordinated port development efforts underway in Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan, which he described as emerging into a regional maritime infrastructure initiative.

According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, this collaborative effort involves significant investments in both sides of the Caspian-Black Sea connection. The Port of Baku is set to commence dredging operations in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea in late 2026, with the project covering the port basin and access channel to achieve an operational depth of approximately 8.8 meters. This development is expected to enhance the range of tonnage capable of passing through Baku.

Kazakhstan is similarly focused on dredging and modernization activities around the Aktau and Kuryk ports. Amashukeli noted that if Baku, Aktau, and Kuryk successfully increase their maritime capacities, attention will shift towards the west, where Georgia's new Anaklia port and the modernization of existing infrastructure are underway. The expansion of railway connectivity and hinterland infrastructure is crucial for the logistics chain.

Amashukeli concluded that if the development efforts in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Georgia advance collaboratively, the Middle Corridor could evolve from being merely an alternative route to a dependable multimodal trade system, linking Central Asia with the Black Sea and Europe.