Middle Corridor investment gap estimated at $30–35 billion, Black Sea bank says

September 26, 2026 at 04:18 AM2 min

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The investment gap for developing the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, or Middle Corridor, is estimated at $30–35 billion, Black Sea Trade and Development Bank Vice President Ziya Aliyev said at the Azerbaijan International Investment Forum in Baku. National governments, domestic capital markets, and regional financial institutions cannot cover the full need, so international financial organizations and multilateral development banks must play a key role. The corridor carried about 4.7 million tonnes of cargo in 2025, with 5.5 million tonnes expected in 2026.

Key Facts

The investment gap for the Middle Corridor is estimated at $30–35 billion, according to Black Sea Trade and Development Bank Vice President Ziya Aliyev.
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank estimates that developing the corridor will require $28 billion in investment over the next three years.
Cargo volume on the Middle Corridor reached about 4.7 million tonnes in 2025 and is expected to reach 5.5 million tonnes in 2026.
Kazakhstan and China plan to increase container traffic on the corridor to 300,000 TEU by 2029, after a 3.5-fold increase over the past five years.

Investment Gap

Black Sea Trade and Development Bank Vice President Ziya Aliyev put the Middle Corridor investment deficit at $30–35 billion during the II Azerbaijan International Investment Forum in Baku. He said the corridor is a large-scale investment direction, but resources of national governments, domestic capital markets, and regional financial institutions are insufficient to cover the full need. International financial organizations and multilateral development banks must play a key role in attracting financing, Aliyev said. Governments and state structures in the region are already negotiating with international financial institutions to raise the necessary capital.

Route and Traffic

The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route connects China and Europe through Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey. Cargo volume on the corridor reached about 4.7 million tonnes in 2025, with 5.5 million tonnes expected in 2026. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank estimates that developing the corridor will require $28 billion in investment over the next three years. Kazakhstan and China plan to increase container traffic on the corridor to 300,000 TEU by 2029, after a 3.5-fold increase over the past five years.