In an interview with the Azerbaijani news agency AZERTAC, Khayotjon Ibragimov, Head of the Center for Energy Diplomacy and Geopolitics, underscored Azerbaijan’s growing role as a key integrator of transport and energy flows between East and West. He highlighted that large-scale projects at the Alat International Sea Trade Port and the development of multimodal logistics centres are not only maximising the country’s favourable geostrategic location, but are also contributing to the emergence of a new transport and energy architecture in Eurasia. According to Ibrahimov, Azerbaijan is no longer just a transit country, but a strategic actor reshaping the region’s logistics and energy map.
An expert noted that a qualitatively new stage has been reached in Azerbaijani–Uzbek relations, with cooperation extending beyond transit to include the energy sector, joint green energy projects and the synchronisation of energy systems. Within the framework of the Middle Corridor, the complex infrastructure being developed allows for the optimisation of both cargo and energy flows, creating a unique synergy between Uzbekistan, the largest economy in Central Asia, and Azerbaijan, which provides strategic access from the Caspian Sea to Europe. This, he argued, turns the Middle Corridor into a competitive and multipolar logistics and energy system.
He also pointed to joint initiatives in green energy and the creation of logistics–energy hubs as key factors boosting the reliability and attractiveness of the Middle Corridor as an alternative to traditional routes. Growing interest from international investors in transport infrastructure and renewable energy projects in the region supports forecasts that cargo and energy flows could increase by 30–35 percent in the coming years. Ibrahimov concluded that coordinated policies by Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan are helping to shape a new Eurasian transport and energy model, strengthening the role of both countries – and the wider region – in the global economic system.
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