Today, 21st Century technologies have changed the landscape of transport, logistics and cargo shipping beyond recognition. Once again, however, Azerbaijan is at the forefront of transport infrastructure across the wider region, with investment in major projects to futureproof the country’s exporting potential.

Since 2000, Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, has been home to the Permanent Secretariat of the ICG TRACECA (Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia) an international intergovernmental commission to strengthen economic relations, trade and transport links between the European Union and 12 member states of the Eastern European, Caucasus and Central Asian region.

Originally funded by the European Commission, the project has been entirely financed by member countries since 2009. TRACECA has working groups covering maritime transport, aviation, road and rail, transport security, and transport infrastructure.

According to the State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the country transported 188.6 million tonnes of goods in 2020. Excluding oil and gas pipelines, road transport accounted for 84.1% of goods transported, followed by rail, sea and air transport.

Azerbaijan has made major investments to strengthen all elements of its transportation infrastructure in recent years.

Given the importance of its road network to both domestic commerce and to international businesses looking to invest in and trade from Azerbaijan, the country has completed more than 50 major road construction and reconstruction projects in the past few years. Thousands of kilometres of road has been created or renovated, linking and opening up the villages, towns and cities of Azerbaijan like never before. The country has also repaired or constructed more than 300 bridges and renewed all its main cross-border roads connecting the country with Georgia, Russia and Iran.

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