Kazakhstan's Middle Corridor freight volume rises ninefold to 4.12 million tons by 2025

September 4, 2026 at 05:39 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Total freight traffic along the Middle Corridor reached 4.12 million tons by 2025, a ninefold increase from 2021, according to the Caspian Policy Center. Kazakhstan held its first parliamentary election on Aug. 23, electing 145 deputies to the new Kurultai parliament. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev used the SCO summit in Bishkek to outline deeper cooperation with China and a vision for Eurasian connectivity.

Key Facts

Middle Corridor freight volume reached 4.12 million tons by 2025, nine times higher than in 2021.
Kazakhstan elected 145 deputies to the new Kurultai parliament on Aug. 23, following a March referendum that approved a new Constitution.
President Tokayev discussed plans for a new Astana airport and Singapore's aviation expertise with Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong at Akorda.

Middle Corridor Growth

Total cargo volume along the Middle Corridor reached 4.12 million tons by 2025, a ninefold increase from 2021, according to the Caspian Policy Center. Nearly all of this cargo flow passed through the Caspian Sea, making developed port infrastructure and adequate maritime capacity defining factors for the route's viability. Delays at border crossing points and Caspian ports caused an 8.4% drop in transport volumes in 2024.

Parliamentary Reform

Kazakhstan held its first parliamentary election on Aug. 23, electing 145 deputies to the new Parliament, the Kurultai. The election followed a nationwide referendum in March that approved a new Constitution replacing the bicameral Parliament with the Kurultai. The new Constitution came into force on July 1, Euronews reported. Nurgazy Anuarbekov, expert at the Kazakhstan Institute of Public Development, said the name Kurultai reflects national identity and respect for history.

Diplomatic Engagements

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev used the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Bishkek and an interview with China's Xinhua news agency to outline deeper Kazakhstan-China cooperation. Tokayev presented Kazakhstan as a committed regional partner and an increasingly active middle power seeking to bridge geopolitical divisions. Tokayev discussed plans for a new modern airport in Astana and the use of Singapore's aviation expertise with Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong at Akorda.