In brief: Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan signed an agreement on October 15 to jointly develop the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route — the Caspian Sea crossing of the Middle Corridor linking China and Europe via Central Asia and the South Caucasus.
The agreement, exchanged by the two countries’ transport ministers in the presence of Presidents Tokayev and Aliyev, sets a legal framework for coordinated expansion of rail, road and port infrastructure, and for jointly developing a dredging fleet to address shallow Caspian approaches. It also provides for digital measures including a single-window system, end-to-end cargo tracking, advance information exchange, mutual recognition of electronic digital signatures, and mutual recognition of authorized economic operator status.
For shippers routing cargo along the Middle Corridor, the Caspian crossing has been a recurring bottleneck where limited vessel capacity and shallow approaches erode the time savings from faster rail links further along the route. If implemented, simplified customs procedures and AEO recognition between the two countries could shorten transit and reduce paperwork for cargo moving between China, Central Asia and Europe, though the agreement itself only sets the framework — the article notes implementation is the immediate test.
Source: Qazinform, October 15, 2026.