Turkmenistan connects the states of Central Asia with Iran and the vast Middle Eastern region, thus providing access to the warm southern seas. The launch of the Tejen-Serakhs-Mashhad railway line in 1996 gave Uzbek exporters access to the world ocean via the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas for the first time. 

Work on the Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran-Oman multimodal transport corridor project was reactivated in 2022 after being launched in 2016. This was facilitated by intensified dialogue between Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan regarding transport logistics, as well as Tashkent’s practical interest in the capabilities of Iran’s deep-water port of Chabahar in the southeast. 

Chabahar has also been designated a key link in the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), which is promoted by India and Russia. Ashgabat is one of the key beneficiaries of this project thanks to the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway, which was inaugurated in 2014.   

Turkmen transit plays a critical role in linking Central Asia with the European Union via Iran and Turkiye by land. Uzbekistan is attracted to this geographical advantage, as it has high hopes for a full functioning of the Southern Railway Corridor to Europe. With construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway finally underway, the project has become a strategic priority for Uzbekistan, as preliminary calculations suggest it could reduce the distance between East Asia and Europe by 900 km and delivery times by 7–8 days.  

In December 2022, the first freight train departed from Tashkent Central Railway Station on the Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran-Turkiye route, covering a distance of over 4,500 kilometers. On November 1, 2023, the transport ministers of the four countries signed a protocol on the further development of the new corridor during a meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organization, calling on China, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan to join the initiative. 

To optimize land transportation to Europe, China is supporting railway routes through Kazakhstan, including the China-Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran-Turkiye and China-Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran-Turkiye routes. However, the future China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway could significantly alter these supply chains, strengthening the competitive advantage of Tashkent and Bishkek. Tajikistan, which borders western China and plans to construct an international highway to Uzbekistan, is also ready to join these connectivity efforts. This will create the shortest multimodal route from East Asia to Europe, with Dushanbe playing an active role.

One important feature of Turkmenistan as a transit country is its modern port infrastructure. The Caspian port of Turkmenbashi, which opened in 2018, can handle 17 million tons of cargo per year, excluding petroleum products. It has terminals for ferries, passengers, and containers. The Balkan shipyard in Kenar is also operational.

Turkmenbashi is recognized as a vital link in the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), also referred to as the Middle Corridor, connecting Central Asia with the South Caucasus. During Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov’s state visit to Uzbekistan on November 17, the two countries agreed to jointly develop the Turkmenbashi port. This could indicate Tashkent’s potential investment participation in the project.

Geopolitical tensions around the world are having a negative impact on the dynamics of intercontinental maritime transport through strategic transport hubs such as the Strait of Malacca and the Suez Canal. This is prompting global exporters, including China, to redirect some of their cargo to land-based trade routes. In this context, the importance of the Middle Corridor is increasing, with its capacity growing steadily thanks to the participating countries’ collective efforts to improve its soft and hard infrastructure.

In 2024, 4.5 million tons of cargo were transported via the Middle Corridor from Kazakhstan onward to Georgia, representing a 62 percent increase on the previous year. The World Bank forecasts this figure will increase to 11 million tons by 2030. Transcontinental trade is expected to account for 40 percent of the projected volume, including the potential transit of 1.3 million tons of cargo from Uzbekistan to Europe.

Due to its geographical proximity, Uzbekistan favors trans-Caspian transportation via the Turkmenbashi port. In 2019, Tashkent initiated the launch of the CASCA+ (Central Asia–South Caucasus–Anatolia) transport corridor, which focuses on utilizing the railway and maritime infrastructure of Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkiye for export deliveries to the EU. In 2024, the participating countries agreed to establish a consortium to coordinate the activities of the route. This marks a significant step toward the project’s institutionalization, creating a solid foundation for enhancing its competitive potential, as well as the transit capabilities of Central Asian and South Caucasian countries.  

On November 12, 2025, a meeting of transport ministers from Central Asian countries was held in Tashkent to the CASCA+ corridor. They discussed the creation of a unified digital transport platform to optimize logistics procedures and speed up the movement of goods.

Uzbekistan is a consistent advocate for strengthening interconnectivity in Central Asia, developing transport diplomacy with neighboring states and regions and thereby emphasizing its commitment to regional consolidation.