BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 26. The Middle
Corridor鈥檚 performance depends on not only the quality of hard
infrastructure, but also on soft infrastructure, Yevgeniy Zhukov,
Director General of the Central and West Asia Department at ADB,
said during the panel discussions held as part of the Asian
Infrastructure and Development Bank (AIIB) Annual Meeting in
Beijing, Trend
鈥淭his is a multimodal corridor combining road, rail, and
waterborne transport crossing several borders. When we talk about
Middle corridor, often the conversation centers around the need to
develop transport infrastructure (ports, roads, and railways).
However, the corridor鈥檚 performance depends on not only the
availability and quality of hard infrastructure, but also on soft
infrastructure such as the organization of logistics,
digitalization of multimodal operations, regulatory harmonization,
and other trade facilitation measures,鈥 he said.
Zhukov noted that cumbersome transit procedures and inefficient
logistics hinder progress and increase the costs of using the
鈥淚ssues like a lack of a unified tariff structure and single
operator, as well as potential delays due to increased traffic, are
areas that need further attention. Unlike the Northern Corridor
going through the single customs zone of Kazakhstan, Russian
Federation, and Belarus with a single rail operator managing
traffic between the PRC and Poland鈥檚 border, CAREC Corridor 2
requires coordination among multiple rail, road and port operators
and crossing many customs borders. This fragmentation reduces
efficiency and increases costs,鈥 noted the department director.
He pointed out that limited digitalization and challenges in
system interoperability contribute to coordination inefficiencies
across different modes of transport.
鈥淰ariations in cargo-handling standards across regions present
logistical challenges that can lead to shipment delays and
increased operational costs. One more factor elevating the costs of
using this corridor and somewhat undermining its competitiveness is
monopolization of and uneven market access to services on some
segments of the corridor. Providing for equal playing field for all
private transport and logistics operators seems one of the least
noticed challenges for this corridor,鈥 said Zhukov.
He noted that to fully unlock the potential of CAREC Corridor 2,
a coordinated strategy that simultaneously modernizes
infrastructure, streamlines operational procedures and provides for
business-friendly economic environment is imperative.
鈥淭hese measures will lead to reduction of costs of moving cargo
through the Corridor and will contribute to its competitiveness,鈥
added Zhukov.
The Middle Corridor is a transportation and trade route that
connects Asia and Europe, passing through several countries in the
region. It is an alternative route to the traditional Northern
Corridor and Southern Corridor.
The route starts in China and crosses Central Asian countries
such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. It then passes
through the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and T眉rkiye before
reaching Europe. The Middle Corridor offers a land route that
connects the eastern parts of Asia, including China, with Europe,
bypassing the longer maritime routes.