Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan Launch First eTIR Operation to Ease Middle Corridor Bottlenecks

Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have carried out their first joint electronic transit operation under the eTIR system, an initiative the International Road Transport Union says will help ease a persistent bottleneck on the Middle Corridor.

Tatiana Rey-Bellet, the IRU's TIR and Transit Director, said the digital customs-transit operation is designed to streamline cross-border road transport among the three Central Asian and Caucasus nations, cutting the paperwork and delays that have long slowed cargo movement along the Trans-Caspian route. Turkmenistan is one of three countries participating in the inaugural run of the system.

The rollout adds a digital layer to Turkmenistan's broader effort to modernize border procedures, complementing physical infrastructure investment as the country positions itself within the Middle Corridor's growing freight volumes.