The World Bank Group plans to make $1.2 billion in new investment commitments by July 2027 to develop the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, commonly known as the Middle Corridor.
Rolande Pryce, the World Bank’s regional director for the South Caucasus, said the route links China and Europe through Central Asia, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Türkiye. The World Bank Group’s current portfolio of active commitments for projects along the corridor already totals $6.9 billion.
Pryce said World Bank financing is helping mobilize an additional $9.35 billion from international financial institutions and private investors. Governments of participating countries are contributing a further $2.2 billion of their own funds.
Investment Needs Exceed $55 Billion
A World Bank assessment says the Middle Corridor will need more than $25 billion in physical infrastructure and about $30 billion in supporting investment through 2040.
Priority areas include railways, seaports and access roads, as well as logistics hubs, inland terminals, locomotives, freight cars, cargo-handling equipment and digital platforms. Faster investment could strengthen Azerbaijan’s role as a transit link between Central Asia, the South Caucasus and Europe.
Source: Vesti Baku.