In the wake of tectonic shifts in global geopolitics, the vast space serving as the primary transit artery for cargo from East to West has become a focal point for the world’s major powers.
China, the world’s primary cargo owner, seeks to control this transport artery, viewing the Middle Corridor as an integral part of its “Belt and Road Initiative.” To this end, Beijing maintains strategic partnerships with key corridor participants: Kazakhstan, Georgia, and Azerbaijan.
The region is of equal strategic importance to the United States. This significance was recently underscored when the peace declaration between Azerbaijan and Armenia was signed in the U.S. Furthermore, President Trump expressed explicit support for the so-called “Trump Peace Corridor,” also known in Azerbaijan as the Zangezur Corridor. This focus was also evident in November, when the heads of all five Central Asian nations visited the White House, where numerous investment initiatives were established.
In this shifting landscape, Georgia’s position remains a question mark, as the country currently faces severely strained relations with the West, including the United States.
What fate awaits the Middle Corridor in this new reality? Will the South Caucasus and Central Asia become the central battleground for great-power influence?
Source: BMG News