BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 27. The potential of Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) is not yet achieved, the USAID Kazakhstan official told Trend.
The official said that the inland route from Aktau to Poti port, which bypasses the Caspian Sea via Russia, is 1,792 km long, while the trans-Caspian Sea route is 1,300 km.
“Access to the Caspian Sea is important for Kazakhstan’s economy, as well as for transiting cargo from Central Asia. Given its location, Kazakhstan has the potential to be an important Caspian Sea transit hub, but developing a highly efficient transit system that is integrated with Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkiye is crucial,” the official said.
Having noted that this potential has not been fully achieved at the moment, the official added that Central Asian countries see advantages in the trans-Caspian route in accessing the European market.
“Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan have been looking at the trans-Caspian corridor as a key project, because traditionally road transport companies from Central Asia relied on Russia as a transport corridor for moving goods to European. Now they are looking for alternative routes, which lie along the historical Silk Road,” the official said.
In his words, Central Asian and Caucasus countries have generally supported this project. Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkmenistan have established new consortia of companies that work together to make transportation easier and faster.