It seems Turkmenistan wants a piece of expanding East-West trade action. Ashgabat is developing infrastructure projects that officials hope will become Middle Corridor trade hubs. 

A statement issued by Turkmenistan’s Foreign Ministry earlier in February announced that Turkmen officials participated in a four-nations meeting via video link also involving officials from Azerbaijan, Georgia and Romania. Discussions focused on ways to foster East-West trade. The statement added that Ashgabat will soon sign a quadripartite agreement to create a new Middle Corridor trade route spanning the Caspian and Black seas. 

“The quadripartite intergovernmental agreement on the establishment and implementation of the international transit and transport route ‘Caspian Sea-Black Sea’ … will make a significant contribution to the development of international cargo transportation between Central Asia and Europe,” according to the statement.

It may be a while before the envisioned transit agreement is finalised. Turkmenistan has a reputation for being a fickle negotiating partner, underscored by the trouble Ashgabat and Turkey had in agreeing on pricing for a gas swap deal originally agreed upon in early 2024. Following an extended bout of haggling, the gas will finally start flowing on March 1. Turkmenistan is expected to supply 1.3 billion cubic metres of gas by the end of 2025. 

Meanwhile, the government-connected Turkmenportal website reported that a new airport with a 3,200-metre runway will soon be operational. The airport near the village of Jebel in western Balkan province sits astride the railway connecting Ashgabat to the Caspian port city of Turkmenbashi. The facility is designed to accommodate air cargo but could also potentially handle passenger traffic.

“The airport is intended to play an important role in increasing the volume of passenger and cargo flows in air transport, furthering economic development of the country, and the provision of services that meet the requirements of the time,” according to the Turkmenportal report.

This article first appeared on Eurasianet here.