Trade along the Trans-Caspian Corridor linking Europe and Asia has quadrupled since 2022 and could triple again by 2030 with the right investment.
A new EU-funded “meta-study” has set out where spending is needed to strengthen transport, trade, energy and digital connections along the route, the European Commission announced on Friday.
The Trans-Caspian Corridor is a network of railways and ports connecting Europe with Turkey, the Black Sea region, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Central Asia.
The study points to sections where infrastructure is missing, outdated or unable to handle current volumes, and is intended to help set investment priorities for links to Central Asia via the South Caucasus.
European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said cargo moving between Europe and Asia via the South Caucasus and Turkey is rising, but much of the infrastructure is old, and investment decisions depend on clarity over where upgrades will have the most impact.
Rail, ports, energy grids and data routes
On transport and trade, the study recommends smoother and more aligned border rules to help goods move faster and says public-private partnerships will be needed to modernise infrastructure because public budgets alone are not enough, the Commission said.
It also notes a growing role for Ukraine and Moldova in Europe’s efforts to diversify and strengthen its wider transport network, it added.
On energy, the study identifies opportunities to diversify energy links and improve electricity connections, including through modernised grids and greater use of renewables.
On digital connectivity, it calls for alternative fibre-optic routes, installing fibre alongside energy and transport projects, and creating new internet exchange points — infrastructure that helps direct online traffic efficiently — as well as using satellite links where ground networks are weak.
The work sits under the EU’s Global Gateway strategy and its Cross-Regional Connectivity Agenda, which focuses on improving links between the EU and Central Asia through Turkey and the South Caucasus.
