BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 3. Turkmenistan joined a
high-level round table on the Trans-Caspian Corridor at the
European Parliament in Brussels.
This was reflected in a press release published by the Embassy
of Turkmenistan in Brussels.
"Participants highly appreciated the growing role of the
Trans-Caspian Transport Route in strengthening links between the
European Union, Central Asia, the South Caucasus and the wider
Eurasian space," the press release said.
According to the embassy, the event was organised with the
support of Member of the European Parliament Ilhan Kyuchyuk and
brought together ambassadors of Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and
Uzbekistan. The programme featured panels on regional connectivity
and investment under the EU's Global Gateway initiative, moderated
by Central Asia expert and Tashkent State University of Oriental
Studies PhD candidate Derya Soysal.
The embassy said Turkmenistan's Ambassador to Belgium, Sapar
Palvanov, stressed that transport connectivity is now directly
linked to supply chain resilience, strategic autonomy, route
diversification, and reliable international connections.
According to the press release, Palvanov said the Trans-Caspian
Transport Route provides Europe with an additional strategic link
to Central Asia and the wider Asian region through the South
Caucasus and the Caspian Sea.
The embassy noted that the ambassador described the corridor as
a transport ecosystem that includes ports, vessels, railways,
roads, customs procedures, digital solutions, logistics operators,
and private-sector participation.
According to the press release, the programme featured panels on
regional connectivity and investment under the EU's Global Gateway
initiative.
The embassy added that participants called for closer
cooperation among the European Union, Central Asian countries, the
South Caucasus, international financial institutions, and the
private sector to advance practical projects along the
Trans-Caspian Transport Route.
Meanwhile, the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, also
known as the Middle Corridor, is a multimodal trade route linking
Europe and Asia via Central Asia, the Caspian Sea, the South
Caucasus, and Türkiye. The corridor has become a central transport
component of the European Union's Global Gateway strategy, the
bloc's flagship initiative to strengthen sustainable infrastructure
and connectivity with partner countries.
As part of Global Gateway, the EU is working with international
financial institutions to mobilise around 10 billion euro for
transport infrastructure along the Middle Corridor. The initiative
includes investments in ports, railways, border crossings, and
digital customs systems, reflecting the bloc's efforts to diversify
trade routes, improve supply chain resilience, and deepen economic
links with Central Asia and the South Caucasus.
