The Development of the Middle Corridor, a Shared Priority: Strategic Meeting Between Constanta Port Business Association and the Embassy of Kazakhstan

On January 22, 2025, the Constanta  Port Business Association hosted a new meeting with official representatives of the Republic of Kazakhstan, led by His Excellency Mr. Ali Yerlik, Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Romania.

The visit, organized with the support of Ms. Corina Martin, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Constanta , emphasized the shared commitment to strengthening bilateral economic cooperation to develop trade along the Caspian Sea–Black Sea route, an alternative transport corridor connecting Asia to Central and Southeastern European states.

The Constanta  Port Business Association, which brings together the business community from the Port of Constanta , including companies with Romanian capital and major international investors, plays a vital role in port development, modernization, and promotion.

The discussions at the meeting are a natural continuation of the relations initiated in 2023 during the Black Sea–Caspian Sea International Forum, jointly organized in Constanta  in April 2023, and further strengthened in October 2024 by the Romanian delegation’s visit to Kazakhstan’s capital.

During the meeting, His Excellency highlighted the importance of the Caspian Sea as a strategic hub on the intermodal transport route of the Middle Corridor, increasingly significant for Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Europe.

Kazakhstan, the most important economic power in Central Asia, aims to develop long-term partnerships in Romania. While Kazakhstan’s primary economic objective in Romania has been in the energy sector, it is now complemented by a new strategic goal: leveraging the Port of Constanta  and fostering commercial partnerships with the private port community for transporting goods along the Middle Corridor. For Central Asian and Caucasian countries without direct access to international maritime routes, the Port of Constanta  holds exceptional strategic importance. Joint projects initiated by Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Georgia support efficient cargo flows between Asia and Europe via the Caspian and Black Seas.

During the discussions, the Constanta  Port Business Association emphasized that while the port’s geostrategic potential for this route is not yet fully exploited, recent investments and programs aimed at improving the port’s connectivity with Romania’s advanced logistics zones – such as the freight hubs in the western part of the country – and with borders to Central Europe make this corridor increasingly viable. These initiatives complement the diversification of international trade routes and enhance the Port of Constanta ’s appeal as a regional logistics hub.

The Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan expressed its desire for the mutual actions of recent years to continue and invited the Constanta  Port Business Association to participate in the next diplomatic and economic event on Kazakhstan’s agenda, to be held this spring in the port of Aktau, on the Caspian Sea.

The Constanta  Port Business Association thanks the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Romania and Ms. Corina Martin, Honorary Consul of Kazakhstan in Constanta . It supports the premise that this transport route will gain increased importance and offers its assistance in redirecting trade flows through Romania.