00:00the war in ukraine has pushed the eu to seek alternative trade routes making the middle
00:14corridor the trans-caspian route a priority under its global gateway strategy the eu pledged 12
00:20billion euros with kazakhstan at the center what steps is it taking to support the shift
00:25welcome to east-west connect we're highlighting business and economic developments in kazakhstan
00:32and the wider central asia region connecting with europe and beyond spanning 4 250 kilometers of rail
00:40and 500 kilometers of maritime links across the caspian the middle corridor connects china to
00:46europe via kazakhstan the south caucasus and turkey the eu wants to turn the trans-caspian route into
00:53a fast modern trade corridor cutting transit time to 15 days but bottlenecks remain a 2023 study led
01:00by the european commission and the european bank for reconstruction and development identified 33
01:05critical infrastructure upgrades and seven soft connectivity reforms that could transform the
01:10corridor's efficiency if fully developed the middle corridor could carry 470 000 containers annually by
01:172040 according to the ebrd kazakhstan the world's largest landlocked country is key the government is
01:24expanding rail links to double speeds and multiply cargo capacity fivefold cargo volumes through kazakhstan
01:32jumped from 800 000 tons in 2021 to 4.5 million last year with the goal of reaching 10 million tons by
01:392028 joining us now to discuss the developments along the china europe route is such an uzbek of deputy director of the
01:47transport policy department at kazakhstan's ministry of transport
01:52mr uzbek of welcome to the program
01:56how much investment has gone into railroad and maritime infrastructure and how is it helping improve the
02:02middle corridor's capacity
02:03my sony shindy visits a robot upon modernization in the term part of us must see it'll take us in
02:10what specific steps is kazakhstan taking to address the current bottlenecks
02:36for the exception of the
03:05So talk to us about Kazakhstan's throughput capacity via the Caspian Sea. What potential do you see there?
03:35Mr. Uzbekow, thanks for being with us today.
03:52And you, thank you very much.
03:54Kazakhstan and Bulgaria are also aligning strategies, planning to link the ports of Burgas and Varna to the Middle Corridor.
04:02Meanwhile, Kazakhstan has opened a new logistics terminal in Georgia's Black Sea port of Poti, a joint project with local and Azerbaijani partners.
04:10With a processing capacity of up to 200,000 containers, it's a key connection to the Black Sea.
04:16Kazakhstan is also expanding its own port infrastructure. Let's take a closer look.
04:22Aktau is now home to the largest container hub on the Caspian Sea.
04:26Its capacity could reach 240,000 standard containers per year, helping meet growing cargo demand between Europe and China.
04:33The container hub in Aktau will be equipped with more advanced technologies.
04:38We'll be using a terminal operating system that will enhance the efficiency of the hub.
04:44The latest technologies like RMG crane, the latest ZPMC model that will be more efficient in terms of handling and loading and unloading the cargo coming from China to Caspian Sea.
04:59KJZ Express, a subsidiary of Kazakhstan Railways, is leading the project as multi-modal operator of the Trans-Caspian Route, providing rail links, port infrastructure and digital solutions.
05:08We have launched the project called Test Customs. It helps cargo to get the clearance at the customs when the cargo arrives to the border stations.
05:20And we decrease the time from 8 hours to 30 minutes.
05:24The company now plans to expand further with new terminals in Azerbaijan, Georgia and Hungary, completing the logistics chain and simplifying access to European markets.
05:33A core EU focus is digitization to streamline border checks, customs and logistics.
05:40Digital freight documents, tracking systems and improved data exchange are all in the works.
05:46Here to speak to us about the attractiveness for business of the Trans-Caspian transport corridor is Gajdar Avdikarimov,
05:52expert consultant on transport corridors at the Asian Development Bank.
05:56He's also a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport.
06:00Mr. Avdikarimov, welcome. Great to have you with us.
06:04Good morning. Thank you for inviting us.
06:06At full operational efficiency, how economically attractive could the Trans-Caspian transport network become?
06:13How are you helping simplify the cross-border formalities?
06:17And how will that help with the regional coordination across the Central Asian states?
06:20How are you helping simplify the cross-border formalities and how will that help with the regional coordination across the Central Asian states?
06:23How are you helping simplify the cross-border formalities and how will that help with the regional coordination across the Central Asian states?
06:42As you know, on the Trans-Caspian transport route, there are a few transport rights.
06:52There are a few transport rights. When they are connected and connected, we lose a lot of time.
07:00For harmonization of this process, we need to be a digitalization.
07:04And, of course, we need to be able to carry out a unique indicator.
07:10Today, this is a work that is also started.
07:13It is carried out by the various universities of development, such as the Asia-Bank of Development.
07:19Going forward, how do you envision the regional connectivity of the region that's bound by the Trans-Caspian Route?
07:49Thank you so much for your perspective today.
07:54Bye for now, and join us next time on EastWest Connect.
