Diplomacy
Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan Forge Middle Corridor Pact at OTS Baku Summit
April 13, 2026
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Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan have agreed to pursue an intergovernmental agreement that would strengthen the legal and institutional framework of the Middle Corridor, the trans-Caspian trade route that has emerged as a strategic alternative to the northern transit route through Russia. The announcement came at the Second Meeting of Heads of Government of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) held in Baku on April 1-2.
Kazakhstan's Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov announced the plan to formalize the Middle Corridor's status through a bilateral agreement with Azerbaijan, to be completed before the end of 2026. The accord would establish common customs procedures, standardized documentation, and coordinated pricing mechanisms that could reduce transit times and costs along the corridor.
A centerpiece of the agreement is the proposed Digital Monitoring Center, which would operate under the OTS umbrella and provide real-time tracking of cargo movements across the entire corridor. The center would integrate data from customs authorities, port operators, railway companies, and shipping lines in all transit countries, creating a single digital platform for logistics management.
The OTS Secretary-General projected a further 10 percent increase in corridor volumes in 2026, building on the nearly 11 percent growth recorded in 2025, when transit volumes reached approximately 5 million tons. The digital infrastructure is seen as essential for managing this growth efficiently and maintaining the corridor's competitiveness against alternative routes.
The summit also addressed physical infrastructure bottlenecks. Kazakhstan committed to expanding capacity at its Caspian port of Kuryk, while Azerbaijan outlined plans for upgrading the Alat port and accelerating the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway expansion. A plan for six new ferries on the Kuryk-Alat line was confirmed, with the first two vessels entering service in the first half of 2026.
Turkey, as a fellow OTS member and critical western terminus of the corridor, also participated actively in the discussions. Turkish officials highlighted the importance of integrating the Middle Corridor with Turkey's expanding rail network and the proposed Zangezur corridor that could eventually connect Azerbaijan's mainland with its Nakhchivan exclave and Turkey.
The geopolitical context adds urgency to the initiative. The Diplomat analysis notes that ongoing supply chain disruptions globally have increased demand for diversified overland trade routes, and the Middle Corridor is well-positioned to capture a growing share of China-Europe trade. The Boston Consulting Group projects that corridor volumes could grow three to four times over the current decade.
