{"id":799703,"date":"2026-10-12T01:50:43","date_gmt":"2026-10-12T01:50:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/799703\/"},"modified":"2026-10-12T01:50:43","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T01:50:43","slug":"can-kazakhstan-turn-north-south-transit-into-economic-gains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/799703\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Kazakhstan Turn North-South Transit Into Economic Gains?"},"content":{"rendered":"

ASTANA \u2014 Kazakhstan\u2019s development of the North-South transport corridor could open new export markets, diversify trade routes and strengthen the country\u2019s position as a regional transit hub, according to Kazakh experts. They say realizing these opportunities will depend on infrastructure improvements, competitive tariffs and closer coordination among participating countries.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Arman Yeshmuratov. Photo credit: KIPD.<\/p>\n

The corridor gained fresh attention on Oct. 8, when President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev addressed the eighth Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia and Azerbaijan in Turkmenistan\u2019s Avaza National Tourist Zone. Tokayev highlighted growing demand for the Middle Corridor while reaffirming the strategic importance of the North-South route.<\/p>\n

The two corridors serve different geographical directions. The Middle Corridor connects China and Central Asia with Azerbaijan and European markets through the Caspian Sea, while the North-South network provides access to Iran, the Persian Gulf and South Asian markets.<\/p>\n

According to Arman Yeshmuratov, a political scientist and expert at the Kazakhstan Institute for Public Development (KIPD), Tokayev\u2019s remarks reflect Kazakhstan\u2019s strategy of diversifying transport routes and expanding economic partnerships.<\/p>\n

\u201cDeveloping the North-South route could expand Kazakh enterprises\u2019 access to new markets and boost freight transportation. Achieving this requires infrastructure modernization, coordinated logistics solutions and simplified customs procedures,\u201d said Yeshmuratov.<\/p>\n

The geographical advantages of the route are particularly relevant for Kazakhstan\u2019s landlocked economy, where access to distant markets depends on reliable and commercially competitive transit connections.<\/p>\n

KIPD expert Almat Nukenov said the corridor\u2019s economic benefits should ultimately be measured through the opportunities available to Kazakh businesses.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Almat Nukenov. Photo credit: KIPD<\/p>\n

\u201cFor Kazakhstan, its value should be reflected in orders for domestic carriers, revenue from logistics services and opportunities for exporters. The outcome depends on tariffs, delivery reliability and how the benefits are distributed among participants,\u201d said Nukenov.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe wider the choice available to our enterprises, the less dependent they are on individual routes and the stronger the country\u2019s negotiating position. The North-South route should be assessed precisely by how much it expands that choice,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

The approach is consistent with Kazakhstan\u2019s broader transport policy. In his September 2025 state-of-the-nation address, Tokayev identified the North-South, East-West and Trans-Caspian corridors as interconnected components of the country\u2019s transit system, calling for infrastructure investment, digitalization and greater economic returns from freight transportation.<\/p>\n

Growing freight demand and access to markets<\/p>\n

Recent government figures indicate increasing demand for the southern transport direction, creating opportunities for Kazakhstan to expand its participation in regional and international trade.<\/p>\n

According to Kazakhstan\u2019s Ministry of National Economy, freight transportation along the North-South corridor increased 12% in 2025, reaching 3.5 million tons. Trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Iran grew 26.4% to $430.2 million over the same period.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Didar Tebayev. Photo credit: KIPD<\/p>\n

The ministry reported these figures during bilateral discussions on transport corridors, port infrastructure and investment cooperation. Kazakhstan also proposed developing a joint infrastructure modernization road map with Iran, aimed at increasing the corridor\u2019s capacity to 20 million tons annually.<\/p>\n

Didar Tebayev, a KIPD expert, pointed to Kazakhstan\u2019s railway connections with Turkmenistan, which form part of the eastern branch of the North-South corridor.<\/p>\n

According to the Ministry of Transport, railway freight transportation between Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan increased 46% in the first five months of 2026, reaching 1 million tons, while cargo volumes along the China-Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran route grew 2.5 times.<\/p>\n

Tebayev also highlighted the potential for expanding business activity along the corridor, particularly in logistics, manufacturing and higher-value exports.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese measures will help establish transport, logistics and manufacturing enterprises along the route and facilitate the supply of higher-value goods. The combined effect of joint projects will create new jobs, support small and medium-sized businesses and help build a sustainable, self-sufficient trade and production system,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Kamila Amurtayeva. Photo credit: KIPD<\/p>\n

Tebayev emphasized that businesses also need predictable transportation costs and delivery conditions to take advantage of these trade opportunities.<\/p>\n

\u201cBusinesses need clear conditions for accessing infrastructure, predictable transportation costs and accountability for delays or cargo safety. Mutual recognition of electronic transport documents and advance data exchanges between customs authorities should also be expanded,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Infrastructure and the cost of coordination<\/p>\n

The growing demand for freight services places attention on how efficiently participating countries can manage cargo across their respective transport networks.<\/p>\n

At a forum in Ashgabat on Dec. 12, 2025, Tokayev emphasized the modernization of railway, port and road infrastructure to create a seamless transport system, Tebayev recalled. He noted that the practical challenge is ensuring that border crossings and changes between transport operators do not result in additional delays and unpredictable expenses for businesses.<\/p>\n

The Ministry of National Economy has also highlighted efforts to improve coordination among countries along the route. During talks with Iran, officials discussed a forthcoming four-party tariff agreement involving Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan and Iran, alongside an existing five-party railway agreement involving China, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran and T\u00fcrkiye.\u00a0<\/p>\n

These arrangements address different aspects of corridor development, from freight tariffs to railway cooperation, with their commercial value depending on how effectively participating countries implement them.<\/p>\n

Kamila Amurtayeva, an expert consultant at KIPD, emphasized that major transport projects require long-term investment and dependable agreements among the countries involved.<\/p>\n

\u201cTransport projects are always designed to last for years. They involve significant investment, infrastructure and commitments from several states. Before investing, partners need to understand how reliable the agreements will be and whether their shared interest will remain in the future,\u201d said Amurtayeva.<\/p>\n

She noted that maintaining established partnerships while developing new transport opportunities can strengthen the predictability of Kazakhstan\u2019s economic relationships.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe ability to expand the range of opportunities while maintaining consistency in partnerships gives foreign policy strategic stability. For Kazakhstan, the more reliable its agreements with partners are, the greater its opportunities to turn its geographical position into a lasting economic advantage,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"ASTANA \u2014 Kazakhstan\u2019s development of the North-South transport corridor could open new export markets, diversify trade routes and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":799704,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[84,1294,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-799703","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-economy","tag-business","tag-economy","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/799703","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=799703"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/799703\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/799704"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=799703"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=799703"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=799703"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}