BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 27. Middle Corridor
stands as a cornerstone of regional integration, Secretary General
of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) Kubanychbek Omuraliyev
said in an exclusive interview with Trend.
Omuraliyev pointed out that within the Turkic World Vision 2040,
the development of the Middle Corridor is defined as a strategic
priority — the shortest and safest route connecting East and West,
and a key driver for integrating Turkic countries into global
logistics networks.
“In this context, the Middle Corridor stands as a cornerstone of
regional integration and economic cooperation. It shortens transit
distances by 2,000 kilometers compared to the Northern Corridor and
enables goods to reach Europe from China in just 15 days — three
times faster than by sea. Realizing the full potential of this
route requires close coordination among Turkic states. Through
joint infrastructure projects — such as the
China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, a major component of the
corridor — member states are significantly improving transit
efficiency and expanding capacity to 15 million tons annually.
Equally vital to the success of the Middle Corridor is the
modernization of customs and logistics processes,” he said.
The OTS secretary general noted that Azerbaijan and other member
states have been successfully implementing systems such as ePermit
(electronic transport permits), eCMR (electronic consignment
notes), and eTIR (electronic customs transit system), making
international shipments faster, simpler, and more transparent.
“The signing of a regional roadmap for full eTIR implementation
at the OTS Heads of Customs Meeting in Baku in January 2025 marked
a major milestone in this process, paving the way for more
efficient and secure trade flows across the region. Combined with
agreements from the 2022 Samarkand Summit on simplified customs
corridors and international freight transport, these efforts are
strengthening the Middle Corridor, making the Turkic states a model
of regional connectivity, efficiency, and resilience,” he
added.
