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Trans-Caspian Route

Kazakhstan to Develop Maritime Component of Trans-Caspian Transport Route

Kazakhstan’s national railway operator, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), is moving to build its own maritime fleet to expand the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR). Also known as the Middle Corridor, the TITR is a multimodal transport corridor linking China and Europe through Central Asia and the South Caucasus, offering an alternative to routes that pass through Russia. KTZ Express Shipping, a subsidiary of KTZ, has signed contracts for the construction of six general-purpose dry cargo container ships. Agreements have been concluded with China’s Jiangsu Haizhongzhou Shipping Industry Co., Ltd. for the construction of four vessels and with Azerbaijan’s Baku Shipyard for the construction of two. The vessels will be river-sea ships with a deadweight of up to 9,900 tons and a capacity of up to 537 TEUs, adapted for operations on both the Caspian and Black Sea routes. This is expected to support the integration of the maritime segment into the TITR’s multimodal logistics chain. The ships will be equipped with modern navigation systems in line with international requirements and environmental standards. Their safety, reliability, and environmental performance are expected to enhance their suitability for international routes and increase confidence among global shippers. The project is intended to give Kazakhstan a larger role in the TITR by establishing a sustainable maritime component of the route. Kazakhstan’s maritime transport sector has recorded steady growth in recent years. In 2025, maritime cargo volumes reached 8 million tons, a 7% increase compared to 2024. Container traffic through Kazakh seaports rose by 29% to 90,637 TEUs, while cargo volumes transported along the TITR increased by 36%. Under the country’s comprehensive maritime infrastructure development plan for 2024-2028, Kazakhstan intends to establish a major transport and logistics cluster based on the ports of Aktau and Kuryk. The plan includes expanding container handling capacity, developing cargo terminals and international shipping logistics, and reducing administrative barriers. By 2028, total cargo throughput at the ports is expected to increase by 50%, while container handling volumes are projected to triple. Plans are also in place to increase container traffic along the TITR, including the transit of 600 container trains from China through Kazakhstan this year. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, freight volumes transported along the Middle Corridor through Kazakhstan have grown more than five times over the past seven years, increasing from 0.8 million tonnes to 4.5 million tonnes annually.

Regional Ecological Summit

Kazakhstan President Highlights New Constitution and Calls for Fair Global Ecological Cooperation at Astana Summit

Astana, Kazakhstan – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev used his opening address at the Regional Ecological Summit in Astana to underline Kazakhstan’s strengthened constitutional commitment to environmental protection and to call for fair, pragmatic, and unified global cooperation on ecological challenges. Speaking on Earth Day before regional leaders and senior United Nations representatives, Tokayev described ecology as far more than climate policy alone. “It is the very foundation of human livelihood,” he said. “It is about clean air and safe water, healthy soils and secure food systems. It is about the stability of communities and the dignity of future generations. It is also about clarity of thought, harmony of our societies, and their happiness.” The President said Kazakhstan’s new Constitution clearly reflects environmental protection as a fundamental priority of state policy and public responsibility. He described this constitutional commitment as embedding ecological safety and prosperity into the country’s long-term vision and “national DNA.” Tokayev warned against double standards in international environmental policy, saying developing and emerging economies must not be placed at a disadvantage as the world moves toward cleaner growth models. “The global transition to cleaner models must be fair, balanced, and stimulating,” he stated. Environmental cooperation, he added, should unite rather than divide nations and must be based on partnership, trust, and shared responsibility, “with no naming, no shaming, and no blaming.” Stressing the need for consistency in international norms, Tokayev also said: “The UN Charter is not Haute Cuisine, and cannot serve as a cherry-picking platform.” The President identified the region’s most urgent shared ecological challenges as water scarcity and poor water management, desertification, glacier retreat, air pollution, and biodiversity vulnerability. “The time for indicating successes is over; the time for making solutions has come,” he said. Tokayev then outlined concrete steps Kazakhstan is taking across several priority areas. On energy transition, he said Kazakhstan intends to increase the share of renewable energy to 15% by 2030 while reducing emissions by almost 35%. Renewable sources already generate more than 7% of Kazakhstan’s electricity, and the country is moving to expand clean generation capacity while modernizing major energy facilities. As the world’s leading uranium exporter, Kazakhstan is also advancing plans for its first nuclear power plant while introducing cleaner technologies at coal-fired generation sites. On water security, Tokayev highlighted the restoration of the Northern Aral Sea, where about 36% of the water surface has been recovered, improving water quality and fish stocks. He described the Aral tragedy as a warning for the wider region and the international community. “The Aral Sea remains a stark reminder of the consequences of unsustainable policies,” he said. He also pointed to a new interstate program aimed at preventing further degradation of the Caspian Sea, supported by a dedicated scientific research institute. Tokayev renewed his proposal, first advanced in Ashgabat last December, to establish an International Water Organization as a United Nations agency, and said the summit would host the first round of international consultations on the initiative. Addressing the Caspian region more broadly, Tokayev...

Kyrgyzstan Tests Alternative Transport Route to Russia That Bypasses Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan and Russia are advancing plans for an alternative transport route that would bypass Kazakhstan. The proposed Southern Transport Corridor would connect the Russian port of Astrakhan across the Caspian Sea to the Turkmenbashi port in Turkmenistan and then continue overland through Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to Kyrgyzstan. The first test cargo shipments along this corridor have already been completed, according to Russian media reports citing Kyrgyzstan’s First Deputy Prime Minister Daniyar Amangeldiyev. Amangeldiyev said Kyrgyzstan views the development of this southern route via the Caspian Sea as a promising alternative for trade between the two countries. “We’re working in this direction. We have a strategic partnership in this area and a shared vision. We are currently in negotiations,” he told Russia’s TASS news agency on April 3 on the sidelines of the CIS International Economic Forum in Moscow. Discussions on establishing the new transport corridor date back to October 2024, during the visit of then–prime minister of Kyrgyzstan Akylbek Japarov to Moscow. For Kyrgyzstan, the Southern Transport Corridor offers a way to reduce dependence on transit through Kazakhstan. At present, most cargo traffic between Russia and Kyrgyzstan passes through the territory of Kazakhstan. Trucks from Kyrgyzstan often face delays of several days at the border, creating significant obstacles for cargo transport, particularly for perishable agricultural goods. The new corridor is expected to help alleviate these bottlenecks and provide an alternative route linking Kyrgyzstan with the European part of Russia. Kazakhstan would continue to serve as the primary transit route for trade with Russia’s Siberian, Ural, and Far Eastern regions.

Energy Infrastructure

Why Workers Are Leaving the Çalık Enerji Power Plant Construction Site in Turkmenistan

One of Turkmenistan’s largest combined-cycle power plants is currently under construction on the Caspian coast. Despite offering record-high wages by local standards, the site is experiencing persistent staff turnover. The project is being led by the Turkish company Çalık Enerji, which is building a 1,574 MW combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plant in the village of Kiyanly in Turkmenistan’s Balkan region. While the workforce is largely made up of local residents, retaining staff has proven difficult. According to former workers, even unskilled laborers can earn up to $2,856 per month, an exceptionally high salary for the region. This has attracted a steady stream of job seekers. However, many employees say the pay does not adequately compensate for the harsh realities of working on-site. The primary reason cited for resignations is the extreme natural environment. The construction site lies between the Caspian Sea and an open expanse of steppe, where strong winds are a near-constant presence. Conditions worsen in winter, when workers endure eight-hour shifts outdoors in cold and windy weather, conditions that many find intolerable beyond a few months. In addition to environmental challenges, workers point to strained relations with site management and internal conflicts among staff. They describe a lack of mutual trust between workers and middle managers, as well as growing tensions within crews. Some have also reported interethnic clashes, particularly between Turkmen and Azerbaijani workers, despite both groups being Turkmenistani citizens residing in the same region. These disputes have occasionally escalated into physical altercations, further contributing to resignations. Çalık Enerji signed a contract with the state-owned utility Turkmenenergo to carry out the Kiyanly project. The power plant will feature two units equipped with 9F.04 gas turbines, each with a capacity of 288 MW, and a D12 steam turbine produced by GE Vernova.

Multimodal Transport Corrdior

Can the New Multimodal Route Become a Sustainable Corridor for Central Asia?

The launch of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Caspian multimodal corridor has generated significant interest as another attempt to expand Eurasian transport connectivity. A pilot shipment in the fall of 2025 demonstrated the technical feasibility of the new route: cargo transported from Kashgar, China, passed through Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, reached Turkmenistan, and was then delivered to Azerbaijan via the Caspian Sea, continuing along the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway toward Europe. Despite its evident geopolitical appeal, questions remain over the route’s long-term sustainability and commercial viability. The central question is whether this demonstration project can evolve into a regularly functioning transport corridor. A Third Alternative Between the Northern and Middle Corridors This multimodal route can be seen as a potential alternative to the two existing pathways: the northern route, China-Kazakhstan-Russia-Europe; and the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), or Middle Corridor, which passes through Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, the South Caucasus, and Turkey. The growing geopolitical risks along the northern route since 2022, combined with capacity limitations on the Caspian segment of the TITR, have spurred interest in a third option, a so-called “southern belt” traversing Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. Each country along this route has its own strategic calculus. Uzbekistan is seeking to overcome its “double continental isolation” and elevate its role as Central Asia’s transit hub. Kyrgyzstan is aiming to monetize its geographic position between China and the Ferghana Valley. Turkmenistan is developing the port of Turkmenbashi as an alternative to the increasingly congested hubs of Aktau and Alat. China, meanwhile, continues to diversify its westward overland trade routes. The Uzbek Factor: Geoeconomics vs. Logistics From Tashkent's perspective, this corridor aligns with its long-term transport strategy. Analysts frequently cite Uzbekistan’s ambition to transition from a landlocked to a “land-linked” state with direct access to China, the Caspian Sea, and southern routes to the Indian Ocean. The new route offers Uzbekistan three strategic advantages: alternative access to China via Kyrgyzstan, enhanced status as a regional transit hub, and deeper transport cooperation with Turkmenistan, including potential joint development of the Turkmenbashi port. However, when shifting from geopolitical ambition to logistical execution, serious limitations emerge, many outside Uzbekistan’s control. Kyrgyzstan: A Bottleneck in the Chain Documents from the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) program highlight the continued challenges facing multimodal transport in the region, namely slow transit, poor modal integration, border delays, and outdated logistics technologies. Within this corridor, Kyrgyzstan remains the primary bottleneck. Approximately 82% of its foreign trade by weight is transported by road, making the route through this mountainous country highly seasonal, expensive, and unpredictable. According to the International Road Transport Union, Kyrgyzstan’s transport system faces severe constraints from alpine terrain, avalanches, and impassable mountain passes that render winter transport nearly impossible in many areas. It is therefore unsurprising that, following the pilot shipment, no major logistics operators committed to shifting regular cargo to this route. The Caspian Sea: Structural Constraints The Caspian Sea leg, anchored by Turkmenbashi port, presents another critical challenge. The limitations here are systemic rather than national. Key issues include insufficient...

Kazakhstan and Iran Discuss Trade on Pezeshkian’s Visit to Astana

Kazakhstan and Iran have announced plans to significantly deepen economic cooperation, aiming to triple bilateral trade turnover to $1 billion in the coming years. The announcement was made by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during the Kazakh-Iranian business forum, held as part of the official visit of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to Astana. According to Tokayev, mutual trade exceeded $340 million last year and is expected to “increase many times over” in 2024. The two countries have set an initial target of reaching $1 billion in trade, with an eventual goal of $2 billion, relying on expanded logistics and the establishment of sustainable supply chains. A key mechanism will be the opening of the Kazakhstan Trade House in Tehran, intended to facilitate systematic exports of Kazakhstani products. Over the past two decades, Iran has invested more than $226 million in Kazakhstan’s economy, and more than 350 Iranian companies currently operate in the country. Tokayev emphasized Kazakhstan’s readiness to initiate new joint projects across sectors ranging from industry to agribusiness. Strengthening corridors and access to the Persian Gulf Tokayev highlighted the development of transport and logistics infrastructure as a primary enabler of increased trade. Kazakhstan, he noted, is a vital transit hub in Eurasia, with 85% of cargo between China and Europe passing through its territory. Astana plans to construct a transport and logistics terminal at the port of Shahid Rajai, linking Kazakhstan’s ports of Aktau and Kuryk with the Iranian ports of Amirabad and Anzali. The Kazakh side also expressed readiness to integrate the ports of Bandar Abbas and Chabahar into the regional supply chain. The Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway plays a central role in these plans. Traffic volumes along this corridor are expected to double by 2030, delivering a substantial boost to regional trade and industrial development. Key market for Kazakh grain Iran remains a key buyer of Kazakh grain. In the first 10 months of 2024 alone, exports reached $280 million. Total agricultural trade between the two countries stood at $220 million in 2023, underscoring the sector’s growth potential. Iran’s Solico Group plans to build a dairy plant with an annual capacity of 200,000 tons and launch baby food production. Meanwhile, Kourosh Food Industry is exploring opportunities to establish vegetable oil plants and poultry farms. Kazakhstan, in turn, is inviting Iranian investors to participate in modern manufacturing projects and develop export-oriented supply chains. A shared challenge: the declining Caspian Sea The environmental situation in the Caspian region was another key topic of discussion. Falling sea levels are already affecting port operations, logistics, and fish stocks. Tokayev called for the creation of an intergovernmental program to preserve the Caspian Sea and urged greater involvement from international organizations. Kazakhstan intends to take part in the upcoming VII Caspian Summit in Tehran and has proposed hosting the IV Caspian Economic Forum within the next two years. Pezeshkian noted that the private sector has already identified promising areas for collaboration from the creation of a joint shipping consortium on the Caspian to the development of...