# Uzbekistan and Georgia Expand Transport Cooperation

Changes in global supply chains and the search for alternative transport routes between Asia and Europe have further increased the importance of Central Asia and the South Caucasus. Against this backdrop, particular significance is attributed to corridors that connect regions to one another and facilitate the development of trade, transit, and economic cooperation.

Uzbekistan and Georgia have mutually complementary geographical positions in this process. For Uzbekistan, which has no direct access to the sea, Georgia is an important route to connect with Europe through Black Sea ports. For Georgia, cooperation with Uzbekistan creates an opportunity to access the markets of Central Asia, China, and South Asia.

An important place in this cooperation is occupied by the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, also known as the Middle Corridor. By the end of 2025, the volume of Uzbek cargo transported via this route had doubled, reaching 1.2 million tons. Accordingly, the Middle Corridor is becoming one of the most important alternative routes between East and West.

Cargo turnover between Georgia and Uzbekistan is also increasing. In 2025, the total volume of cargo transported between the two countries amounted to 146.8 thousand tons, which represents a 5% increase. Rail shipments grew particularly rapidly: their volume increased by 56% and reached 53.1 thousand tons. The growth in exports, imports, and transit demonstrates that this direction still has significant potential.

The CASCA+ international route is also important, as it connects China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, and Europe. To develop this corridor, participating countries have introduced tariff benefits and are coordinating the movement of transit container trains. At a six-party meeting held in June 2026, the parties signed a protocol envisioning an increase in cargo volumes on the CASCA+ corridor.

Air traffic is also actively developing. Regular flights operate on the Tashkent-Tbilisi and Tashkent-Batumi routes. In 2025, Uzbek airlines performed 608 regular and charter flights to Georgia, while in the first five months of 2026, the number of flights doubled compared to the same period of the previous year.

In the future, major rail projects will further increase the importance of cooperation. The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway creates a shorter land route from China through Central Asia and then via the Caspian Sea to the South Caucasus. The Trans-Afghan Railway, running from Uzbekistan through Afghanistan to Pakistan, will connect Uzbekistan to South Asian markets.

Linking these projects to existing transport corridors will further deepen cooperation between Central Asia and the South Caucasus. As a result, relations between Uzbekistan and Georgia go beyond cargo transportation. They are taking shape as a partnership of broader, strategic significance.