The eighth Consultative Meeting in Avaza, Turkmenistan, on Oct. 8 was the first regular summit since Azerbaijan became a full participant in the format in November 2025. It came in a year when the five Central Asian states and Azerbaijan mark the 35th anniversary of their independence.
The six countries now have an opportunity to use this wider forum to build economic relationships that connect their producers and markets as closely as their transport routes. Azerbaijan’s inclusion in the consultative format reflects the deep historical and cultural ties that have long connected the country with Central Asia.
While the geographical boundaries of Central Asia remain unchanged, the expanded format creates new opportunities for political and economic cooperation across the Caspian. Its flexible nature allows governments to pursue projects that serve shared interests while preserving their sovereignty and independence.
At Avaza, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed raising intraregional trade from about $13 billion in 2025 to at least $20 billion. Reaching that target will require greater attention to production and supply chains. More cargo moving through Central Asia does not automatically mean more goods being produced, processed or traded within the region.
The challenge is to ensure that growing transit flows translate into stronger economic ties among the participating countries. Transport investment can support this growth when it helps local firms buy inputs from neighboring countries, reach new customers and invest across borders.
Together, Central Asia and Azerbaijan have more than 95.5 million people and an estimated combined GDP exceeding $645 billion. This is a substantial economic base for investments serving several national markets. Yet the potential of this market depends on how easily businesses can operate across borders.
Simplifying customs procedures, reducing administrative barriers and making transport costs and delivery times more predictable would encourage companies to plan production and investment beyond their domestic markets. None of the six countries has direct access to the open ocean, making reliable connections to international markets especially important.
The Middle Corridor already links Chinese and European markets through Central Asia and the South Caucasus. Azerbaijan’s participation gives governments on both shores of the Caspian a regular opportunity to coordinate rail, port and shipping investment. Closer coordination could help address the gaps between national transport systems that affect the reliability of the entire route.
The World Bank estimates that, with infrastructure investment and reforms to improve transport efficiency, Middle Corridor volumes could quadruple by 2040 compared with 2023, while travel times could fall by two-thirds. The real measure of infrastructure investment, however, is not simply the capacity of individual railways or ports, but the reliability of the journey from producer to customer.
A railway upgrade delivers greater economic value when cargo can move through the next port and border crossing without an avoidable wait. Improving connections between existing facilities is therefore as important as building new ones. Tokayev also proposed that experts examine how the Middle Corridor could connect with TRIPP, the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity.