Azerbaijan and Central Asia: Strategic Partnerships and the Middle Corridor

Central Asia has shifted from the periphery of Azerbaijan’s foreign policy to become a primary geopolitical priority, driven by the expanding Middle Corridor and regional alliances. Dr. Matin Mammadli, head of department at the Baku-based Center of Analysis of International Relations and Multiculturalism, details how Baku views the region through transport networks and strategic partnerships rather than relying solely on Turkic cultural affinity.

Caspian Sea Position Links Azerbaijan to Central Asia

Although Azerbaijan sits geographically in the South Caucasus, its infrastructure and Caspian Sea position link it directly to Central Asia’s political and economic systems. The Caspian Sea functions as a unifying space rather than a physical barrier, according to the analysis. Disruptions to northern trade routes during the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022 accelerated international interest in the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, commonly known as the Middle Corridor.

Azerbaijan Secures Alliances with Central Asian States

By mid-2026, Azerbaijan secured formal alliances with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan, alongside strategic partnerships with Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, the analysis states. President Ilham Aliyev participated in Central Asian consultative meetings as a guest in Dushanbe in 2023 and Astana in 2024 before transitioning to full membership at a summit in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan, on July 31, 2026. The resulting six-state configuration forms a consultation platform rather than a supranational union.

Diversification of Trade and Regional Infrastructure

The partnership relies on complementing Central Asia’s export potential with Azerbaijan’s transit infrastructure, including the Baku International Sea Trade Port and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway. This connectivity provides landlocked Central Asian states with alternative routes toward Europe, Türkiye, Iran, and the Black Sea basin.