Azerbaijan and China Expand Cooperation to Increase Shipments via the Middle Corridor

Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways JSC Rovshan Rustamov received a delegation headed by the president of China Railway Container Transport Corp. Ltd. (CRCT) Yang Bin.
During the meeting, extensive discussions were held on expanding cooperation in railway transportation and logistics between Azerbaijan and the People's Republic of China, as well as increasing freight traffic via the Middle Corridor.

The parties discussed the possibility of CRCT joining the joint venture of the railways of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Georgia, “Middle Corridor Multimodal Ltd.,” and announced that this significant event will take place during the 8th International Silk Road Exhibition on September 19-20 in Xi'an.

It was noted at the meeting that thanks to the development efforts of the Middle Corridor, the movement of container block trains from China has resumed, and since the beginning of 2024, 212 container block trains have been sent from Chinese ports to Azerbaijan. The delivery of containers to the Baku port takes 8-10 days, and to the Black Sea ports, 10-12 days, marking a successful outcome of the work done.

The Chinese side expressed satisfaction with these results and stated that CRCT's participation in the joint venture “Middle Corridor Multimodal Ltd.” will contribute to an increase in cargo volumes along the Middle Corridor.

It was also announced at the meeting that on September 19-20, discussions will take place in Baku, initiated by Azerbaijan Railways, regarding the establishment of the new International Association "Eurasian Transport Route," with the participation of railway operators from China, Central Asia, and Europe. The main topic of the discussions will be the development of the southern branch of the Middle Corridor and ensuring efficient, fast, safe, and structured cargo transportation along the China-Central Asia-Europe route and back as part of the association's cooperation efforts.