BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 2. Central Asian
countries and the European Union have discussed ways to strengthen
trade and economic ties through the development of the
Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor and joint investment projects.


This was reflected in a statement issued by the Embassy of
Turkmenistan in Belgium following the first Central Asia-EU
Strategic Institutes Forum, which took place at the headquarters of
the European External Action Service (EEAS) in Brussels.


Throughout the meeting, emphasis was placed not only on
improving transportation infrastructure but also on creating
favorable conditions for trade, industrial cooperation, and
expanding access for goods from Central Asian countries to European
markets.


The economic session also examined opportunities for
implementing joint investment projects under the European Union's
Global Gateway initiative, developing higher-value-added
industries, introducing modern technologies and strengthening
cooperation between business communities in the two regions.







Meanwhile, the development of the Trans-Caspian Transport
Corridor has become one of the key areas of EU cooperation with
Central Asia under the Global Gateway strategy. In January 2024,
the EU and its international partners announced a commitment to
mobilize €10 billion for sustainable transport connectivity in the
region. The initiative envisages improvements to railways, roads,
ports and logistics centers, alongside digitalization, customs
coordination and trade facilitation.


Recently, on June 23, 2026, the European Commission launched the
Connectivity Agenda Platform, bringing together Central Asian
countries, the South Caucasus and other regional partners. The
initiative also includes agreements with international financial
institutions expected to mobilize up to €2 billion for transport
infrastructure, border crossing points and trade facilitation in
the Black Sea region and the South Caucasus. Participants agreed to
strengthen the operational performance of the Trans-Caspian
corridor, with the European Commission tasked with assessing its
functioning and proposing priority measures to improve
competitiveness.