Tokayev announces plan to raise Kazakhstan transit to 100 million tonnes

September 16, 2026 at 02:24 PM2 min

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Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced a target to increase transit shipments through Kazakhstan to 100 million tonnes. He spoke at the first Central Asia–Republic of Korea summit. Tokayev also proposed integrating the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route with Korea's TRIPP initiative.

Key Facts

Kazakhstan aims to increase total transit shipments through its territory to 100 million tonnes.
Freight volumes on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, also called the Middle Corridor, grew fivefold over the past six years.
Kazakhstan plans to raise the Middle Corridor's capacity to 20 million tonnes in the foreseeable future.
Kazakhstan produces about 100 million tonnes of oil annually and is ready to resume energy supplies to Korea.
Hyundai Engineering will participate in a consortium to build a large gas processing plant in Kazakhstan.

Transit and Transport Ambitions

Tokayev said Kazakhstan aims to increase total transit shipments through its territory to 100 million tonnes. He highlighted the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, known as the Middle Corridor, where freight volumes grew fivefold in six years. Kazakhstan intends to raise the corridor's capacity to 20 million tonnes and integrate it with Korea's TRIPP transport initiative. Tokayev proposed combining the routes to form a through transport and logistics chain from Korea through Central Asia to Europe. He also noted prospects for cooperation between Busan port and Kazakh ports on the Caspian Sea in exchanging best practices and information.

Energy Cooperation

Tokayev said Kazakhstan is among the world's leading hydrocarbon producers with annual oil output of about 100 million tonnes. Kazakhstan is ready to expand energy cooperation, including resuming energy supplies to Korea. The Korean National Oil Corporation (KNOC) is successfully developing oil fields in Kazakhstan. Hyundai Engineering will take part in a consortium to build a large gas processing plant in Kazakhstan. Tokayev invited Korean companies to create new high-value-added production in petrochemicals, including polypropylene and polyethylene.

Nuclear and Industrial Partnership

Tokayev said Kazakhstan is ready for closer cooperation with KHNP and Doosan Enerbility in nuclear technologies. He earlier proposed launching a Central Asia–Korea industrial development partnership.