South Caucasus allies reinforce Middle Corridor cooperation

On 6 October, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov held talks with George Zakarashvili, Georgia’s newly appointed ambassador to Baku. The meeting was more than a routine credential exchange; it served as a timely demonstration of the durable strategic partnership binding Baku and Tbilisi together.

The two diplomats covered a broad agenda spanning bilateral trade, energy security, defence ties and the ongoing development of transport infrastructure along the Middle Corridor. Bayramov also briefed the new Georgian envoy on the state of normalization talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Both sides acknowledged that stable regional conditions are essential to unlock the corridor’s full commercial potential and agreed to maintain coordinated positions within international organisations.

For observers in London, this dialogue underscores a simple truth. The Middle Corridor is not merely a set of railways and pipelines. It represents a carefully built east-west trade route that bypasses northern transport arteries, carrying goods from Central Asia toward Black Sea ports and onwards into Europe. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, Southern Gas Corridor and Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway form the backbone of this network, while new green energy projects including the Black Sea undersea power cable add a fresh layer of long-term value.

Even so, significant hurdles remain. The peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia still rests on fragile trust. Any delay in boundary demarcation or disagreements over transit routes could ripple across the wider Caucasus transport system. Georgia’s domestic political divisions also add uncertainty to its ability to deliver consistent policy on cross-border infrastructure.

Still, Baku and Tbilisi retain strong incentives to stand side by side. Their shared interest lies in turning the South Caucasus into a reliable connectivity hub. This ambassadorial meeting sends a clear signal: both governments intend to keep advancing joint projects and preserve regional stability as their core diplomatic priority.

We welcome opportunities for further analysis and joint reporting on South Caucasus geopolitics, energy projects and transit corridor developments, and invite interested partners to explore avenues for professional collaboration.