Kazakhstan seeks Belgian port partnership to boost Middle Corridor trade

Kazakhstan is seeking closer cooperation with Belgium to expand trade along the Middle Corridor trade route, Euronews reported. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed a potential partnership between the Port of Antwerp-Bruges and the Caspian Sea ports of Aktau and Kuryk. Tokayev made the remarks at the Belgium-Kazakhstan Business Council in Astana. [1][2]

The proposal coincides with the first state visit to Kazakhstan by King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, Euronews reported. The planned cooperation focuses on connecting Belgium's major port with Kazakh infrastructure along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route. [1]

The Middle Corridor is a trade route connecting Southeast Asia and China to Europe through Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey. It serves as the geographically shortest land route between Western China and Europe, offering an alternative to the Northern Corridor through Russia and the ocean route via the Suez Canal. [3]

International logistics development along the route has seen recent investment interest. As FTMQ News reported earlier, German logistics company Rhenus Group plans to construct a network of up to 14 terminals along the Middle Corridor, including a new multimodal hub at the port of Aktau. [7]