As Nargiza Umarova explains, Uzbekistan is actively developing its transport connectivity with the South Caucasus, recognising the region’s key role in facilitating trade between Central Asia and Europe. Given the growing importance of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) amid shifting geopolitical dynamics, Tashkent has intensified its cooperation with Azerbaijan and Georgia. Since the war in Ukraine and the subsequent decline of Russia’s role in the Europe-China transit chain, Uzbekistan has sought to capitalise on new transport corridors, particularly through the CASCA+ multimodal route. This corridor, linking Central Asia with the South Caucasus and Anatolia, has already proven its effectiveness with the successful shipment of goods to Europe, reducing both transit time and costs.

 

The author highlights Uzbekistan’s commitment to enhancing maritime transport infrastructure, with significant investments in the Baku International Sea Trade Port and the Black Sea ports of Poti and Batumi. The country also supports the opening of the Zangezur Corridor, which could shorten the route from Azerbaijan to Türkiye, further strengthening East-West trade links. However, she notes that the success of these transport initiatives depends on overcoming administrative and legal barriers, including tariff unification and the digitalisation of transit processes. According to Ms. Umarova, Uzbekistan’s deepening cooperation with Azerbaijan, particularly in railway and port infrastructure, aligns with its broader ambition to increase transit capacity to 22 million tons annually by 2030.

 

Explore a detailed analysis on Caspian Policy Center

 

* The Institute for Advanced International Studies (IAIS) does not take institutional positions on any issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the IAIS.