Georgia and the five Central Asian states—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan—held their first joint meeting of foreign ministers in Batumi on October 23 to discuss transport, trade and development of the Middle Corridor.
Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili hosted the meeting. It brought the six governments together in a new format for political talks and practical cooperation. The ministers focused on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, also called the Middle Corridor.
The route links Asia and Europe through Central Asia, the Caspian Sea and the South Caucasus. They discussed making the route more competitive through infrastructure upgrades, digital freight systems and simpler transit procedures. They stressed that reliable connections matter for trade and access to wider markets.
The talks also covered economic, transport and energy cooperation. This included better use of the countries’ seaports and railways. Turkmenistan proposed closer engagement with international transport organizations.
It also raised a fiber-optic cable project along the Caspian–Black Sea corridor as a possible area for cooperation. The visiting ministers toured Batumi’s seaport. The visit highlighted Georgia’s role in regional logistics.
Participants voiced support for continued dialogue and joint initiatives. Public announcements described areas for cooperation but did not set a binding timetable for projects.