IRU Calls For Boosting Digitalization And Facilitation Of Procedures Along Middle Corridor

(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 12. The International Road Transport Union (IRU) outlined specific measures needed to improve the speed, predictability, and investment attractiveness of the Middle Corridor during a round table in Brussels, Trend reports via IRU.

Among the key findings the IRU noted that the corridor efficiency is determined not only by infrastructure but also by the level of coordination and simplification of procedures; reducing time at border crossings is a key factor in increasing competitiveness; instruments such as the TIR system, eTIR, and eCMR can ensure rapid efficiency gains; and coordinated political action is necessary to transform strategic initiatives into investment-attractive projects.

The Brussels discussions on“Sustainable Middle Corridor – from strategic coordination to bankable implementation”, organized by the Kazakhstan–EU Gateway in collaboration with FERRMED and the European Institute of Asian Studies, brought together government, financial and industry representatives.

The participants examined concrete initiatives to strengthen the competitiveness and resilience of the Middle Corridor as a growing Europe–Asia trade route. The corridor is increasingly seen as a driver of regional trade, connectivity and economic development across the countries along the route.

The Middle Corridor, also known as the Trans-Caspian route, is a multimodal transport corridor linking China to Europe via Central Asia, the Caspian Sea and the South Caucasus. Combining rail and maritime segments, it connects key logistics hubs across Kazakhstan, the Caspian ports, Azerbaijan and Georgia before reaching the European Union. Its growing relevance reflects efforts to diversify trade routes and strengthen supply chain resilience between Europe and Asia," IRU explained.

IRU EU Goods Transport Associate Director Marc Billiet stressed that connectivity along the route goes beyond infrastructure. The performance of the corridor depends equally on facilitation, predictability and cooperation across countries, particularly given its multimodal nature and multiple border crossings.

"Billiet discussed infrastructure and operational challenges for sustainable and green logistics, including bottlenecks at border crossings and modal transfer points. He also presented IRU's work in support of the corridor's development through the deployment of facilitation tools, including TIR Green Lanes and digital solutions that reduce delays and improve the efficiency of transport operations.

IRU further pointed to its engagement in piloting eCMR under the EU's Global Gateway strategy, supporting the digitalization of transport documents and processes along the corridor.

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