BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 16. The European
Commission intends to attract up to 12 billion euros in public and
private investment for the development of the Middle Corridor.
This was stated by European Commission President Ursula von der
Leyen in her annual address on the state of the EU.
“Today, I can announce a new international project in the field
of transport connectivity. It will directly connect the South
Caucasus and Central Asia to the European market, what we call the
Middle Corridor,” she said.
According to her, funding is planned to be secured through the
Global Gateway initiative: “We intend to attract up to 12 billion
euros in public and private investment. Our goal is to diversify
routes, triple trade flows, and significantly reduce cargo transit
times by 2030,” von der Leyen noted.
She also announced that a regional summit on transport
connectivity would be organized jointly with the Prime Minister of
Bulgaria.
The Middle Corridor is a transport and trade route passing
through a number of countries in the region and connecting Asia
with Europe. It serves as an alternative to the traditional
Northern and Southern Corridors.
The route begins in China and runs through the countries of
Central Asia. It then crosses the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia,
and Türkiye, before reaching Europe. The Middle Corridor is a land
route that bypasses longer sea routes, connecting eastern regions
of Asia, including China, with Europe.
