Kazakhstan and Georgia Sign Middle Corridor Transport Cooperation Pact

Kazakhstan and Georgia signed a 2026-2027 foreign ministry cooperation programme in Tbilisi in April, formalising their joint commitment to building the Middle Corridor into a commercially competitive Europe-Asia trade route and making Georgia a more efficient and reliable gateway between the Caspian basin and European markets.

Kazakhstan's Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu visited the Georgian capital on April 7 for the signing ceremony, describing Georgia as "a key link in the Europe-Asia transport architecture" and calling for coordinated efforts to raise corridor capacity, improve schedule predictability, and establish tariff transparency across the route's multiple national jurisdictions. The agreement covers bilateral cooperation in transport, logistics, customs, and diplomatic coordination on multilateral corridor governance.

The backdrop is the Middle Corridor's rapid rise. Freight volumes grew from 840,000 tonnes in 2021 to 4.5 million tonnes in 2024—a 435% increase—driven by post-Ukraine rerouting of cargo that had previously moved through Russian territory. Georgia's Black Sea ports, particularly Poti and Batumi, serve as the exit ramp from the Caucasus to Turkish and European networks. The Astana Times reported that tightly coordinated operations between Baku, Tbilisi, and Nur-Sultan are needed to prevent congestion from accumulating at any single point in the chain.

A February 2026 EU study identified Georgian port facilities and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway junction as priority investment nodes, recommending targeted upgrades to increase capacity and reduce delay volatility. For Kazakhstan, Georgia is the final overland segment before cargo enters Turkish territory and European markets, making predictable transit times and transparent tariffs commercial necessities.

The bilateral agreement provides a formal framework within which specific improvements can be agreed, tracked, and implemented. For Georgia, deepening the Kazakhstan partnership positions the country as an indispensable transit hub with leverage that extends well beyond its size—an important strategic asset as competition among Eurasian trade routes intensifies in the coming decade.

Further Reading

• Middle Corridor Freight Hits 4.5 Million Tons as Container Traffic Jumps 34%
• Georgia's Economy Posts 8.4% Growth as IMF Flags Banking Sector Risks