Azernews.Az

At the Samarkand summit, the European Union and five Central Asian nations reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening a strategic partnership aimed at boosting connectivity, investment, and resilience in the face of shifting global dynamics, Azernews reports.

The summit concluded with a joint decision to organize a new investment forum by the end of the year, primarily focused on mobilizing funds for the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route—also known as the Middle Corridor. This corridor plays a vital role in connecting China to Europe via Central Asia, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye, offering a shorter and geopolitically safer route for trade.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the EU has prepared a €12 billion investment package for Central Asia. Of this amount:

• €3 billion will support transport infrastructure,

• €2.5 billion will fund strategic raw material projects,

• €6.4 billion will target initiatives in water, energy, and climate,

• and €100 million will be allocated to expand satellite internet access.

The summit, attended by leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, along with EU officials including Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council President Antonio Costa, took place against a backdrop of growing global uncertainty, intensified by new US trade policies that have disrupted international markets.

The participants also agreed to open a local office of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in Uzbekistan and supported the proposal to institutionalize the summit as a biennial event.

EU officials underscored that access to clean energy and rare earth elements is vital to the bloc’s climate goals and industrial resilience. The push to develop the Middle Corridor is seen as a critical part of the EU’s Global Gateway strategy, aiming to secure alternative trade and energy routes while enhancing regional development.

Recent figures underline the Middle Corridor’s growing importance: cargo volume on the route has surged from 560,000 tons in 2021 to 4.5 million tons in 2024. Projections estimate it will hit 4.9 million tons in 2025 and potentially reach 10 million tons by 2029.