The brief by Nargiza Umarova, Head of the Centre for Strategic Connectivity at the Institute for Advanced International Studies, examines the growing strategic importance of Uzbek–Georgian cooperation in the context of expanding transport links between Central Asia, the South Caucasus and wider Eurasia. The author argues that closer ties between Tashkent and Tbilisi are driven not only by trade and logistics considerations, but also by a broader effort to strengthen economic sovereignty, diversify external partnerships and reduce excessive dependence on individual major powers.

A central focus of the brief is the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, or Middle Corridor, and its potential integration with new transport initiatives promoted by Uzbekistan. Umarova highlights the importance of linking the Middle Corridor with the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway and the Trans-Afghan Railway Corridor, thereby creating broader east–west and north–south logistics chains connecting Europe with China, India and South Asia. Such an approach could strengthen Uzbekistan’s role as a continental transit hub while providing Georgia with greater access to the rapidly expanding markets of Central, East and South Asia.

At the same time, the author stresses that infrastructure investment alone will not guarantee the competitiveness of these routes. Persistent challenges include high transport costs, multimodality, limited digitalisation, non-tariff barriers and insufficient operational coordination between participating countries. The brief therefore calls for greater harmonisation of technical, administrative and legal standards and proposes the establishment of a joint electronic freight coordination platform based on the CASCA+ transport corridor, with the aim of moving towards a more integrated and seamless regional logistics system.

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* 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.