D'Aniere noted that the Trans-Caspian Corridor represents the "elephant in the room" — a large-scale initiative that requires clear prioritization.
Among the key areas requiring attention, he highlighted timing, logistics, infrastructure development, customs procedures, and digitalization.
To explore the priorities in this project, experts relied on the World Bank's Logistics Performance Index, which assesses countries based on trade and transport logistics parameters.
Kazakhstan was cited as an example, acting as a key player in the middle corridor with access to extensive data. The study included regression and statistical analysis of countries with low logistics performance, middle-income countries, and landlocked states.
The analysis results showed that transportation costs and price competitiveness are the main factors affecting logistics efficiency, especially for landlocked countries. "For countries located near global markets or with access to the sea, economies of scale are already taken into account, whereas for countries with a developed logistics base, price becomes less important due to the quality of services," he explained.
The director emphasized that when discussing the middle corridor and the export of rare resources to international markets, it is essential to focus on price as a key indicator affecting regulation, infrastructure, and transportation volumes.
The second important conclusion of the study was the significance of infrastructure. Although hard infrastructure is important, it is not the primary factor contributing to logistics development. Several infrastructure projects are already underway in Central Asia, such as increasing the capacity of ports on the Caspian Sea, developing railway routes through the region, as well as the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan projects and the WAPTEC agreement signed in Washington in the C5+1 format.
He also noted that reducing export costs from Central Asia could attract the attention of American companies, especially large multinational mining corporations, to the opportunities presented in this region.
