LEIPZIG, Germany, May 6. The International
Transport Forum (ITF) Summit, the world’s largest annual gathering
of transport ministers, opened today at the Leipzig Convention
Center, Trend's
correspondent reports from Leipzig.


More than 1,200 delegates from over 80 countries are taking part
in the event, including ministers, financiers, heads of
international organizations, business representatives, and
experts.


This year’s theme is financing sustainable transport. Behind
this formulation lies a concrete challenge: global transport
infrastructure is under pressure from multiple simultaneous
crises.


Disruptions in the Red Sea caused by Houthi attacks have forced
major shipping companies to reroute around Africa, sharply
increasing freight costs. Periodic droughts have made the Panama
Canal temporarily impassable. The war in Ukraine has reshaped
logistics across Eurasia. Against this backdrop, the question of
how to build transport systems capable of withstanding such shocks
has moved beyond academic debate.


Financing such infrastructure presents a separate challenge.
Developing countries cannot afford to invest in backup capacity
that remains idle most of the time, while developed countries
increasingly face political resistance to large infrastructure
projects. Finding a balance between commercial logic and strategic
resilience is at the center of ITF discussions over the next three
days.







Against this backdrop, Azerbaijan’s upcoming ITF presidency in
2026 stands out as particularly relevant. In recent years, Baku has
become a key hub in Eurasian logistics. The Middle Corridor —
linking China to Europe via Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea,
Azerbaijan, and onward through Türkiye or Georgia — has experienced
rapid growth. Following sanctions-related disruptions on
traditional routes through Russia, freight flows via Azerbaijan
have increased significantly.


The country has been investing in the Port of Alat, railway
infrastructure, and border crossings, steadily expanding its
transit capacity.


All of this positions Azerbaijan not just as the incoming forum
chair, but as a country with a direct practical stake in its
agenda. The summit will continue until May 8.