Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor: strengthening sustainable connectivity between Europe and Central Asia

Central Asia is of increasing strategic importance for the European Union because of its position as a land bridge between Europe and Asia, its natural resources, and its growing economic potential. The TCTC is a multimodal rail, road, and maritime corridor connecting Asia to Europe via Central Asia, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus, and Türkiye. It acts as a strategic alternative to other corridors to the north and south, which are marked by unstable geopolitical situations and international sanctions. 

The Trans-Caspian Corridor capacity-building programme is part of the EU’s Global Gateway strategy, which promotes sustainable infrastructure and smart connectivity between Europe and Asia. 

The programme provides technical assistance to the governments of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, to support concrete solutions to transform the TCTC into a more competitive, rapid, and predictable trade route, as well as to strengthen its resilience to climate and geopolitical challenges.

The project acts on six key levers:

1. Trade and customs facilitation: simplification, harmonisation, and digitisation of administrative procedures
2. Sustainable multimodal transport: improving connectivity and interoperability mechanisms (rail, road, maritime)
3. Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs): capacity-building for sustainable and inclusive infrastructure
4. Transport market liberalisation: reforms for fair competition and increased participation by the private sector
5. Pricing mechanisms: transport rate transparency and fairness along the corridor
6. Optimised asset management: mobilisation of financing for transport infrastructure maintenance and modernisation.

In close collaboration with the governments and institutions of the five countries, the programme works to harmonise regulatory frameworks with international standards and European practices. These reforms will enable companies and logistics operators to benefit from simplified procedures, better cross-border coordination and easier market access. By strengthening regional cooperation, the project is helping to make the TCTC a faster, cheaper and more reliable corridor, and to mainstream high standards for sustainable growth.