BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 2. The Shanghai
Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit and the meeting in the SCO+
format held yesterday in Bishkek have once again brought the
organization’s priorities for the coming period to the agenda.
The course of the Bishkek summit, the messages and proposals
given by the country’s leaders show that the organization aspires
to become the main center determining the future development map of
the Eurasian continent. In this regard, transport and logistics
issues are no longer only of economic, but also geopolitical
importance. The development of alternative routes connecting
different regions of Eurasia is of great importance for the SCO
countries in terms of both expanding trade opportunities and
increasing the sustainability of global supply chains.
The role of Azerbaijan in this process is particularly
noteworthy.
The country’s advantage isn’t limited to its location at an
important geographical point in Eurasia. In recent years, the
transport infrastructure created by Azerbaijan, the international
corridors it has developed, and its participation in regional
logistics projects have turned this geographical position into real
economic opportunities. At a time when relations between Central
Asia, China, the South Caucasus, and Europe are expanding,
Azerbaijan is becoming one of the important connection points for
access to European markets from the SCO area.
In this regard, the role of Azerbaijan is particularly evident
in the development of the Middle Corridor. The route connecting
China and Central Asia with Europe via the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan,
the South Caucasus, and Türkiye creates alternative access to
global trade for the SCO countries. Azerbaijan’s Baku International
Sea Trade Port, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, and other transport
infrastructure are among the main elements of this connection.
Azerbaijan contributes to the Middle Corridor not only by
increasing the cargo transit volume. Baku is implementing specific
projects to expand the capacity of the route and is also investing
in the development of the transport capabilities of other
participants of the corridor.
Statistical indicators show that the Middle Corridor is growing
rapidly. While the volume of freight traffic on the route from 2019
through 2021 was approximately 0.6–0.8 million tons, in 2025 this
figure exceeded 4 million tons. The more than 5-fold increase in
freight traffic over several years indicates that the Middle
Corridor has transformed from a regional route into an important
alternative transport route on a Eurasian scale.
One of the important examples of Azerbaijan’s contribution to
the development of the Middle Corridor is the modernization of the
Georgian section of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway line. As a result
of the modernization work carried out on the territory of Georgia
on the BTK, one of the important segments of the Middle Corridor,
the annual freight capacity of the line has been increased from 1
million tons to 5 million tons. This shows that Azerbaijan is not
only increasing its own transit capabilities, but also contributing
to the expansion of the infrastructure capabilities of other
participants in the route. In other words, the infrastructure
projects implemented and financially supported by Azerbaijan serve
to increase the capacity and competitiveness of the Middle Corridor
as a whole.
Thus, for Baku, the issue is not only about increasing transit
revenues. The infrastructure projects implemented by Azerbaijan
serve to increase the overall throughput capacity of the Middle
Corridor and the competitiveness of the route, as well as expand
the access of the participating countries to global markets.
Azerbaijan’s transport strategy is not limited to the East-West
direction. The country is also an active participant in the
International North-South Transport Corridor, which connects the
Indian and Persian Gulf regions with the markets of Northern Europe
via Iran, Azerbaijan, and Russia.
The agenda of the SCO summit in Bishkek also shows that
transport and logistics issues will play a greater role in the
organization’s future development. The new transit map emerging in
Eurasia expands the trade opportunities of the SCO countries,
accelerates the development of alternative routes, and increases
the sustainability of global supply chains.
Azerbaijan’s approach shows that Baku is interested not only in
taking advantage of the routes passing through its territory, but
also in expanding the logistics capabilities of all participating
countries by investing in boosting the infrastructure and
throughput capacity of these routes.
As a result, the Bishkek summit once again confirmed that the
future and sustainability of the SCO directly depend on the
effectiveness of transport and logistics corridors. This new
transit map, which is being formed on the Eurasian continent, both
strengthens the economic sovereignty of the organization’s
countries and turns Central Asia and the South Caucasus into
indispensable transit centers of global trade.
Azerbaijan’s position in this new transport architecture is
particularly noteworthy. Strengthening the East-West connection
through the Middle Corridor and the connection between Northern
Europe and South Asia through the North-South Corridor, Azerbaijan
is no longer just a transit country, but also one of the main
logistics actors connecting various transport directions of Eurasia
and making a practical contribution to the development of these
routes. This indicates that Azerbaijan’s strategic weight in the
regional and global trade system will continue to grow.
As the SCO’s economic agenda expands, the need for reliable,
diversified, and competitive transport links between Asia and
Europe also grows. Azerbaijan’s geographical position, modern
infrastructure, and active participation in international corridors
further increase Baku’s strategic weight in this process.
