Adilbek Yermekbayev: Middle Corridor competitiveness should be based on its quality

The Middle Corridor does not automatically ensure the integration of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), Adilbek Yermekbayev, Director of the Center for Regional Studies at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, said at the 2nd International Conference of Leading National Analytical Centers of Organization of Turkic States in Baku, Report informs.

He said the Middle Corridor creates conditions for the transformation of the OTS but does not automatically guarantee integration.

"Infrastructure, transit and integration are interconnected but distinct processes," Yermekbayev said.

He added that the Middle Corridor cannot be considered an exclusively Turkic project.

"The main flow of goods connects the markets of China and Europe. Georgia, which is not a member of the OTS, plays a key role," he said.

Yermekbayev noted that Azerbaijan has proposed expanding the format into an economic belt known as "OTS+," which would allow other states to join and could create favorable conditions for a full transition toward an economic belt.

According to him, the comparative advantage of the OTS lies not in directly managing the entire corridor, but in coordinating policies and ensuring legal and digital compatibility.