According to the Times of Central Asia website, analysts believe that Afghanistan’s integration into the Trans-Caspian International Corridor, known as the “Middle Corridor,” has gone beyond a local transportation project and has become one of the most important geoeconomic plans in Eurasia. According to this plan, Central Asia is trying to abandon its traditional role as a peripheral region by creating new transit routes and become an active player in trade and transportation between Asia and Europe.
Publish dateMonday 18 May 2026 - 09:23
Story Code : 355041
Afghan Voice Agency (AVA): According to the Times of Central Asia, there are currently two main routes to connect Afghanistan to the Eurasian transit network. The eastern route passes through Termez, Mazar-e-Sharif, Kabul, and Peshawar, and is considered the shortest route connecting Central Asia to the ports of Karachi and Gwadar on the Indian Ocean. However, the route passes through the mountainous Hindu Kush region, increasing construction costs and engineering complexity. There are also tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan and Pakistan and India.
In contrast, the western route passes through Turkmenistan, Herat, Kandahar, and Spin Boldak, and is considered a cheaper and faster option to implement due to its flatter geography. In addition to Pakistan, this route also provides connectivity to Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf, and therefore has greater geoeconomic flexibility; a factor that could transform Afghanistan not just a transit route, but a multifaceted trade hub in the heart of Asia.
Regional Players and Infrastructure Investments
According to the Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, the two main players in the project, are strengthening their rail and port infrastructure to become the northern part of the corridor. Astana has made the development of the Herat-Kandahar route a government priority in 2026 and is also seeking to attract international investors and operators.
Turkmenistan is also playing a key role in implementing the western branch by developing the Turgandi border crossing and connecting it to the rail network. The cooperation of the Turkmenbashi port with the ports of Aktau and Kuryk in Kazakhstan is part of the plan to create a multimodal corridor between the Caspian Sea and Afghanistan; a plan that could transform north-south trade routes.
Promising figures; reducing time and cost
Estimates published in the Times of Central Asia show that the launch of this route could reduce the time for transporting goods from Central Asia to Pakistani ports to 10-12 days; A figure that is about three times faster than the Suez Canal sea route. It is also expected that logistics costs will be reduced by 15 to 20 percent in the first phase. These numbers, if realized, could change the equations of Eurasian trade in favor of land routes.
China and the missing link of the “Belt and Road”
China also views this project as part of the “Belt and Road” strategy. According to the Central Asian Times, Beijing believes that the Afghan route can reduce China’s dependence on sea routes, especially the Strait of Malacca, and facilitate its access to Afghanistan’s mineral resources, including lithium, copper, and rare earth elements. This strategic view has significantly increased the geoeconomic weight of the project.
Conclusion; From isolation to connectivity
The Central Asian Times quotes experts as saying that Afghanistan is moving out of its marginal position and becoming an important link in the new economic structure of Eurasia; A structure that links transportation, energy, mineral resources, and industrial cooperation into an integrated network. The “Middle Corridor,” with all its complexities, could shape a new narrative for Afghanistan: from a landlocked country to a crossroads at the heart of global trade.
In contrast, the western route passes through Turkmenistan, Herat, Kandahar, and Spin Boldak, and is considered a cheaper and faster option to implement due to its flatter geography. In addition to Pakistan, this route also provides connectivity to Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf, and therefore has greater geoeconomic flexibility; a factor that could transform Afghanistan not just a transit route, but a multifaceted trade hub in the heart of Asia.
Regional Players and Infrastructure Investments
According to the Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, the two main players in the project, are strengthening their rail and port infrastructure to become the northern part of the corridor. Astana has made the development of the Herat-Kandahar route a government priority in 2026 and is also seeking to attract international investors and operators.
Turkmenistan is also playing a key role in implementing the western branch by developing the Turgandi border crossing and connecting it to the rail network. The cooperation of the Turkmenbashi port with the ports of Aktau and Kuryk in Kazakhstan is part of the plan to create a multimodal corridor between the Caspian Sea and Afghanistan; a plan that could transform north-south trade routes.
Promising figures; reducing time and cost
Estimates published in the Times of Central Asia show that the launch of this route could reduce the time for transporting goods from Central Asia to Pakistani ports to 10-12 days; A figure that is about three times faster than the Suez Canal sea route. It is also expected that logistics costs will be reduced by 15 to 20 percent in the first phase. These numbers, if realized, could change the equations of Eurasian trade in favor of land routes.
China and the missing link of the “Belt and Road”
China also views this project as part of the “Belt and Road” strategy. According to the Central Asian Times, Beijing believes that the Afghan route can reduce China’s dependence on sea routes, especially the Strait of Malacca, and facilitate its access to Afghanistan’s mineral resources, including lithium, copper, and rare earth elements. This strategic view has significantly increased the geoeconomic weight of the project.
Conclusion; From isolation to connectivity
The Central Asian Times quotes experts as saying that Afghanistan is moving out of its marginal position and becoming an important link in the new economic structure of Eurasia; A structure that links transportation, energy, mineral resources, and industrial cooperation into an integrated network. The “Middle Corridor,” with all its complexities, could shape a new narrative for Afghanistan: from a landlocked country to a crossroads at the heart of global trade.
avapress.net/vdchkmnxz23nmvd.01t2.html
Top hits
