BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 25. Azerbaijan holds
a strategic position along the Middle Corridor, as it is part of
the extended Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) and the
Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor, Stella Renita, head of the
European Investment Bank’s (EIB) Regional Representation for the
South Caucasus told Trend.
According to Renita, the bank, through EIB Global, is ready to
finance infrastructure and logistics projects in Azerbaijan,
provided they align with the European Union’s (EU) priorities and
the country’s connectivity goals under the Global Gateway strategy
and the EU’s new Strategic Approach to the Black Sea region.
“There is significant potential for closer integration of rail,
port, and road infrastructure, which will improve connections
between Central Asia and Europe, reduce transit times, and support
more diversified trade routes,” she noted.
Renita highlighted that the EIB is already providing advisory
support to enhance safety along the Baku–Beyuk Kesik railway
corridor, a key section of the Middle Corridor. These efforts were
carried out under the Facility for Eastern Partnership Investment
in Connectivity, funded by the EU and managed by the EIB. The work
has helped prepare projects by increasing operational safety,
reducing transit time and emissions, and ensuring compliance with
EU environmental and technical standards.
She emphasized that attracting private investment is one of the
main objectives of the EU’s Global Gateway approach. The EIB can
leverage a wide range of financial instruments to mobilize private
capital for strategically important connectivity projects, under
the right conditions.
“These tools include long-term loans, project financing
structures, as well as blended finance solutions and risk-sharing
mechanisms backed by EU budget guarantees under the NDICI-Global
Europe program, the EU’s main external financial instrument for
2021–2027. These instruments are designed to reduce risks, increase
project attractiveness, and enhance bankability, making
infrastructure investments more appealing to private investors,”
Renita explained.
The Middle Corridor (also known as the Trans-Caspian
International Transport Route, TITR) is a transport and trade route
connecting Asia with Europe, serving as an alternative to the
traditional Northern and Southern corridors. It begins in China,
passes through Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan,
Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, crosses the Caspian Sea via
Azerbaijan, continues through Georgia and Turkey, and finally
reaches Europe. This overland route bypasses longer maritime paths,
linking eastern Asia, including China, directly to Europe.
