European Union Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said Türkiye is a “critical partner” for regional transport and connectivity projects aimed at strengthening Europe’s access to Central Asia and China.
Kos spoke at a panel on deepening Trans-Caspian cooperation at the 62nd Munich Security Conference, attended by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, among others.
She said progress in Armenia-Azerbaijan talks has opened space for practical cooperation and argued that connectivity initiatives will only work if regional actors move in step, describing a “multi-layered” regional picture that also includes Türkiye.
Kos said the EU is building a pipeline of projects with Armenia, Azerbaijan and Türkiye and stressed the need for private investment alongside public financing for large infrastructure plans.
She also pointed to ongoing discussions on launching a feasibility study for a railway project involving Nakhchivan — Azerbaijan’s exclave bordering Türkiye, Armenia and Iran — calling it an area where cooperation could prove a “game changer.”
The EU has been backing what it calls the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor, also known as the “Middle Corridor,” as an alternative route linking Europe and Asia via the South Caucasus and the Caspian Sea.
Brussels says the broader corridor aims to connect Europe and Central Asia with a target transit time of 15 days.
In earlier EU briefings on the project, Kos said cargo along the Middle Corridor has grown sharply since 2022 and could triple again by 2030 if bottlenecks are addressed and capacity expanded.
