PAST EVENT – Conference: Strategic Opportunities for EU Companies along the Middle Corridor – The Caspian Sea Ports and the Alat Free Economic Zone (AFEZ)

IN-PERSON CONFERENCE

STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR EU COMPANIES ALONG THE MIDDLE CORRIDOR – THE CASPIAN SEA PORTS AND THE ALAT FREE ECONOMIC ZONE (AFEZ)

Date:  Thursday, 8 May 2025
Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM CET
Venue: EIAS, rue de la Loi 26, B-1040 Brussels
*The Event was followed by a Networking Lunch

The European Institute for Asian Studies (EIAS) had the pleasure of organising a Conference on “Strategic Opportunities for EU companies along the Middle Corridor – The Caspian Sea Ports and the Alat Free Economic Zone (AFEZ)”, which was held on Thursday, 8 May 2025 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the European Institute for Asian Studies, rue de la Loi 26, 10th floor, B-1040 Brussels, Belgium. The event was followed by a Networking Lunch.   

The new multimodal Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), also known as the “Middle Corridor”, connects the Indo-Pacific and Europe by traversing China, Central Asia, the Caspian Sea, the South Caucasus and the Black Sea before reaching the EU in just 15 days. Beyond offering strategic diversification away from Russia and traditional sea routes, the TITR enables the Central Asian and South Caucasus states to foster economic growth and regional development. The Middle Corridor’s success underscores its rising significance within the global logistics network, solidifying its position as a key route for international trade and economic integration across the Greater Caspian Region. The ports of the Caspian Sea serve as crucial gateways for international commerce and maximising their logistical potential is vital in strengthening the trade links between Europe and the Indo-Pacific. 

Strategically located between the Black Sea and Central Asia, the Caspian Sea ports play a pivotal role along the TITR, serving as a crucial hub in the Greater Caspian Region for the transit of commodities and other goods across the Caspian Sea. The development of the new Baku International Sea Trade Port CSJC in Alat, has injected with the establishment of the Alat Free Economic Zone (AFEZ) fresh momentum into cargo transportation. Key advantages of AFEZ, including its well-established unique legal framework,  strategic location, advanced logistics and transportation infrastructure, a comprehensive package of fiscal and non-fiscal incentives, and ready-to-use industrial land plots, offer key strategic investment opportunities for EU companies. 

Programme

09:30 – 10.00           Registration and Welcome Coffee

10.00 – 10.10           Welcoming Remarks by the Chair

• Lin Goethals, Director, EIAS

10.10 – 10.50           Keynote Address

• Gert Jan Koopman, Director-General, Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood (DG ENEST), European Commission
• Peteris Ustubs, Director for Asia and the Pacific, Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA), European Commission 
• Valeh Alasgarov, Chairman of the Board, Alat Free Economic Zone Authority (AFEZ)

10.50 – 11:55           Panel Discussion

• Ellen Wasylina, President and Founder, Trocadéro Forum Institute
• Jan Willems, Manager Maritime Activities, Sarens Group
• Valeh Alasgarov, Chairman of the Board, Alat Free Economic Zone Authority (AFEZ)

11.55 – 12.00           Concluding Remarks by the Chair

• Lin Goethals, Director, EIAS 

12.00 – 13.30           Networking Lunch

Photo credits: Wikimedia Commons.