BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 2. The European
Union will hold a dialogue Improving the Competitiveness of the
Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor (Middle Corridor) on November 17,
2026.
According to information published on the European Commission’s
website, the event will be chaired by European Commissioners Marta
Kos and Jozef Síkela. It is noted that representatives from the
private sector, international financial institutions, and the
European Commission will participate in the event.
“The main objective of the dialogue will be to discuss
mechanisms for expanding support for strategic investments in the
development of the Middle Corridor.
The European Union's Cross-Regional Connectivity Agenda sets out
a clear strategic direction: to deepen cooperation between EU
Member States, Eastern Partnership countries, and Black Sea and
Central Asian partners across trade, transport, energy, and digital
transformation.
Meanwhile, the private sector is assigned a special role in the
development of such cooperation. Public investment can help expand
the corridor’s infrastructure capacity, but the long-term
involvement of private companies and their investments are key to
transforming the route into a reliable and commercially attractive
transportation corridor,” the European Commission’s statement
reads.
In addition, it is emphasized that the event will explore
practical mechanisms for regular consultations with private-sector
representatives within the framework of the Connectivity Agenda
Platform.
“In addition, participants will discuss opportunities for
business support from the EU and international financial
institutions, not only through financing, but also through
regulatory measures, coordination, technical assistance and
de-risking.
Another objective of the dialogue will be to gather concrete
private-sector recommendations and identify opportunities to
improve the design, prioritization and implementation of
corridor-related actions and investments, covering both hard and
soft infrastructure, while tackling the existing barriers,” the
European Commission reports.
The EU Connectivity Agenda Platform was launched in June 2026.
It is designed to ensure more structured engagement with the
private sector on issues related to the development of transport,
energy, trade, and digital connections between Europe, Central
Asia, and neighboring regions.
