ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s development of the North-South transport corridor could open new export markets, diversify trade routes and strengthen the country’s position as a regional transit hub, according to Kazakh experts. They say realizing these opportunities will depend on infrastructure improvements, competitive tariffs and closer coordination among participating countries.
The corridor gained fresh attention on Oct. 8, when President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev addressed the eighth Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia and Azerbaijan in Turkmenistan’s Avaza National Tourist Zone. Tokayev highlighted growing demand for the Middle Corridor while reaffirming the strategic importance of the North-South route.
The two corridors serve different geographical directions. The Middle Corridor connects China and Central Asia with Azerbaijan and European markets through the Caspian Sea, while the North-South network provides access to Iran, the Persian Gulf and South Asian markets.
According to Arman Yeshmuratov, a political scientist and expert at the Kazakhstan Institute for Public Development (KIPD), Tokayev’s remarks reflect Kazakhstan’s strategy of diversifying transport routes and expanding economic partnerships. “Developing the North-South route could expand Kazakh enterprises’ access to new markets and boost freight transportation.
Achieving this requires infrastructure modernization, coordinated logistics solutions and simplified customs procedures,” said Yeshmuratov. The geographical advantages of the route are particularly relevant for Kazakhstan’s landlocked economy, where access to distant markets depends on reliable and commercially competitive transit connections.
KIPD expert Almat Nukenov said the corridor’s economic benefits should ultimately be measured through the opportunities available to Kazakh businesses. “For Kazakhstan, its value should be reflected in orders for domestic carriers, revenue from logistics services and opportunities for exporters.
The outcome depends on tariffs, delivery reliability and how the benefits are distributed among participants,” said Nukenov. “The wider the choice available to our enterprises, the less dependent they are on individual routes and the stronger the country’s negotiating position.
The North-South route should be assessed precisely by how much it expands that choice,” he added. The approach is consistent with Kazakhstan’s broader transport policy. In his September 2025 state-of-the-nation address, Tokayev identified the North-South, East-West and Trans-Caspian corridors as interconnected components of the country’s transit system, calling for infrastructure investment, digitalization and greater economic returns from freight transportation.
Growing freight demand and access to markets Recent government figures indicate increasing demand for the southern transport direction, creating opportunities for Kazakhstan to expand its participation in regional and international trade.