World Bank representative: Middle Corridor has potential to create jobs for people in Caucasus
Mehndiratta pointed out the need of digitisation, border management and simplification of services, given the “shippers who want to move their containers from one end to the other consider the Corridor as a viable alternative”. Photo: 1tv.ge
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Shomik Mehndiratta, the World Bank’s Practice Manager for Transport in Europe and Central Asia, on Tuesday said the Middle Corridor, a logistics route connecting Central Asia and China to Europe via the South Caucasus, had potential to create jobs for people in the South Caucasus region and Kazakhstan.
In his comments before a presentation of the Bank’s new study on harnessing the potential of the Corridor, Mehndiratta emphasised the need for infrastructure development, and added there were also a “number of operational matters” related to the initiative.
The Middle Corridor existed [before] and it served the Caucasus countries, helping Kazakhstan to export much of its goods to Europe, as well as to China. What has changed in the last couple of years is that for various geopolitical reasons, it has become a place where people are looking for a potential land bridge. This has increased both the intensity and the capacity that the Middle Corridor has”, he said.
The Bank representative also noted a course of studies, conducted by his institution and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, reviewed what would be needed to make the Middle Corridor “competitive for land bridge traffic”.
Mehndiratta pointed out the need of digitisation, border management and simplification of services, given the “shippers who want to move their containers from one end to the other consider the Corridor as a viable alternative”.
He added the Corridor had the potential to be converted into an “economic corridor” and use its potential as a “great” transportation route to create jobs in neighbouring countries.
Bulgarian and Romanian ambassadors in Georgia, Vesselin Valkanov and Răzvan Rotundu, on Wednesday highlighted the importance of the Middle Corridor - a transportation route network connecting China with Europe through the South Caucasus region - and vowed support for the initiative.
Antonella Bassani, the World Bank’s Vice President for Europe and Central Asia, on Monday highlighted the “considerable progress” made by Georgia and other countries in the development of the Middle Corridor - a multimodal transport corridor connecting China to Europe through the South Caucasus.
Georgian officials on Thursday highlighted the importance of the Middle Corridor, a logistics route connecting Central Asia and China to Europe via the South Caucasus, as well as joint connectivity projects and efforts to further strengthen interstate trade and economic cooperation at panel discussions of the ongoing Tbilisi Silk Road Forum.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Thursday said Georgia enjoyed “crucial importance” in the development of the Middle Corridor, a logistics route connecting Central Asia and China to Europe via the South Caucasus.
Georgian Deputy Economy Minister Guram Guramishvili on Tuesday said a “growing interest” in the Middle Corridor - a logistics route connecting Central Asia and China to Europe via the South Caucasus - was creating “new opportunities” for expanding the route and attracting more cargo.
Georgian Finance Minister Lasha Khutsishvili on Tuesday reviewed ongoing projects and future cooperation during a meeting with Antonella Bassani, the Vice President of the Europe and Central Asia Region at the World Bank.
Georgian Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili on Wednesday discussed priority areas of cooperation with the World Bank during a meeting with Antonella Bassani, the Vice President of the Europe and Central Asia Region at the Bank.