TRACECA Representatives Participated in the 5th International Black and Caspian Freight Forum 2026 in Baku

 The event brought together key players of the logistics market from the Black and Caspian Sea regions, Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and Europe to discuss practical issues related to the development of multimodal routes and the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor).

The focus of the forum's participants — representatives of the public sector, port and railway administrations, logistics operators and international institutions — was on the shift from general conceptual discussions of transport corridors to the real economics of freight flows, the calculation of transit costs, the predictability of delivery times, and the elimination of commercial bottlenecks.

Participants of the forum discussed enhancing the attractiveness of the Trans-Caspian route by expanding containerization and attracting return cargo loads. Special attention was paid to the digitalization of logistics based on UN/CEFACT standards and e-CMR — initiatives actively promoted by TRACECA — as well as the synchronization of port and railway operation schedules.

 Secretary General Jasurbek Choriev actively participated in the forum on behalf of the Permanent Secretariat of the IGC TRACECA.

The forum discussions confirmed that the sustainable development of the Middle Corridor and the Black and Caspian Sea regions require close coordination among state regulators, international organizations, and private business. Practical conclusions and insights generated from the forum will be utilized by the Permanent Secretariat of TRACECA in elaborating further roadmaps on border-crossing facilitation, paperless transport, and increasing the commercial attractiveness of transit routes between Asia and Europe.

​Background:

The International Black and Caspian Freight Forum is organized on a regular annual basis. Since its inaugural sessions, the Permanent Secretariat of the IGC TRACECA has consistently acted as a key institutional participant in expert panel discussions. The Secretariat's delegation has traditionally supported the Black and Caspian Freight Forum 2023, Black and Caspian Freight Forum 2024, and Black and Caspian Freight Forum 2025 in Baku, utilizing this international platform to promote strategic initiatives on digitalization and the elimination of administrative barriers along key Eurasian routes.