site.btaExplainer: Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR)

The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), also known as the Middle Corridor, starts in Southeast Asia and China and runs through Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan and Georgia. From there, cargo continues to Turkiye and the rest of Europe, including via Black Sea maritime routes to Bulgaria and Romania. The corridor is of strategic importance for connectivity between Europe and Central Asia.

November 7, 2013: During the Kazakhstan - New Silk Road II International Transport and Logistics Business Forum in Astana, the heads of Kazakhstan Temir Zholy National Company, Azerbaijan Railways and Georgian Railway sign an agreement to establish a Coordination Committee for the development of the route. The committee is established in February 2014.

December 2016: The participants from Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Georgia decide to establish an International Association Trans-Caspian International Transport Route.

February 2017: The International Association Trans-Caspian International Transport Route begins operations.

As a multimodal trade route linking Europe and China via Kazakhstan, the Caucasus and the Balkans, the Middle Corridor becomes increasingly important. Interest in the route grows following the decline in the use of the Northern Corridor, the traditional route from China to Europe via Russia, after the start of the war in Ukraine and the imposition of sanctions.

May 2023: Bulgaria offers to host a ministerial meeting to accelerate the development of the TITR. The main objective of the forum is to highlight the importance of the Middle Corridor for connectivity along the East-West and North-South axes.

May 4, 2023: Interviewed by BTA, Kazakhstan's Ambassador to Bulgaria Viktor Temirbayev says Kazakhstan and Bulgaria share a similar and favourable geographical position at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. In his view, it would be beneficial for the two countries to develop their transit potential jointly through practical cooperation within the framework of the Middle Corridor.

June 2025: In an interview with Kazinform, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev says cargo volumes along the route reached 4.5 million tonnes in 2024, an increase of about 65% year-on-year and a significant rise from 586,000 tonnes in 2021.

The Middle Corridor relies on existing rail and port infrastructure but requires further development and investment. The countries along the route are working to position it as an alternative to the Northern and Southern Corridors by expanding and modernizing ports, railways and roads. The World Bank describes the Middle Corridor as a network of road, rail and maritime routes between the Chinese and European markets and says investment is also needed in port and rail connectivity in Bulgaria and Romania.

According to Radev, the existing land routes between Bulgaria and Turkiye and maritime connectivity across the Black Sea offer significant potential for expanding transport links between Bulgaria and Kazakhstan via the Middle Corridor and its extension into the Balkans. The Bulgarian ports of Varna and Burgas are connected to the Georgian ports of Poti and Batumi. Radev says the Middle Corridor could also be viewed as an extension of Corridor VIII, which passes through Bulgaria and connects the Black Sea via North Macedonia and Albania with ports in Southern Italy.

June 4, 2025: The Council of Ministers approves a draft memorandum of understanding between Bulgaria and Kazakhstan on the development of the TITR. The document provides for the exchange of information and expertise, development of ports along the corridor, reduced transit times and improved transport services.

June 9, 2025: During an official visit to Kazakhstan, President Rumen Radev is accompanied by a delegation including representatives of companies in transport, logistics, energy and information technology. At a business forum in Astana, Radev says that developing the route is of exceptional importance and is included in the EU's strategy for Central Asia. In the presence of Presidents Rumen Radev and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, a number of documents are exchanged, including the Memorandum of Understanding on the development of the TITR.

July 13, 2025: Cooperation on developing the route is high on the agenda of Radev's meeting with Uzbekistan's Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade Laziz Kudratov during his official visit to Bulgaria. The two share the view that the growing movement of goods from China to Europe requires the modernization and expansion of transport, energy and digital infrastructure. They discuss the possibility of Bulgaria participating in electricity transmission corridors carrying renewable energy from Central Asia to Europe, as well as developing energy storage capacity through pumped-storage hydropower plants.

June 23, 2026: The EC establishes a Connectivity Agenda Platform and signs letters of intent with international financial institutions, which are expected to mobilize up to EUR 2 billion for strategic connectivity investments in the Black Sea and South Caucasus region. The Brussels meeting is attended by transport ministers and senior officials from EU countries, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Turkiye, Ukraine and Uzbekistan, as well as representatives of the G7 and international financial institutions. Participants agree to work towards improving the operational efficiency of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor and call on the EC to assess its performance and propose priority measures to enhance its competitiveness.

June 29, 2026: The Ministry of Transport and Communications says Bulgaria and Turkiye will work jointly with the EC to develop the Middle Corridor between Asia and Europe. This is confirmed in a telephone conversation between Bulgarian Transport and Communications Minister Georgi Peev and Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu. Earlier, at a meeting with European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, the two ministers share the view that Bulgaria and Turkiye are of strategic importance for the effective use of the Middle Corridor as an additional logistics link.

September 14-15, 2026: The working group on the development of the TITR meets in Sofia to discuss the route's current performance, cooperation among the countries and companies along the route, and the further development of container transport. The participants also review tariff conditions and delivery times, as well as proposals to enhance the route's competitiveness, optimize transport conditions and improve the organization of cargo flows.

September 16, 2026: In her annual State of the Union address, European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen announces a new international connectivity project that will link the South Caucasus and Central Asia directly to the European market via the Middle Corridor. Through its Global Gateway initiative, the EC will seek to attract up to EUR 12 billion in public and private investment. The aim is to diversify routes, triple trade flows and significantly reduce cargo transit times by 2030, von der Leyen says. She also announces that a Regional Connectivity Summit will be organized together with the Prime Minister of Bulgaria.