"BMF Port Burgas" AD hosted a working meeting with delegates from the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) association, attended by representatives from Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Poland, and Bulgaria. As the association's only port member on the European Black Sea coast, the company — concessionaire of the "Burgas East-2" and "Burgas West" terminals — briefed TITR representatives on current development projects, key facilities, infrastructure, and the site's operational capabilities.
The port operator, a member of the association since June 2023, anticipates that the new European strategy focusing on the Middle Corridor will stimulate the company's growth by servicing China-Europe cargo flows. For Bulgaria, the signal regarding the planned regional connectivity summit, to be held jointly with the Prime Minister of Bulgaria, is also of significant importance.
During the meeting, the company's CEO Boris Balev emphasized that partnership, coordination, and practical exchange are essential for the successful development of the route. According to the company's announcement, these interactions should encompass ports, railway companies, maritime carriers, logistics operators, and the institutions involved in the project.
The efficiency of the railway corridor between China and Europe is confirmed by the actual cargo volumes the company handles. Currently, the transit time from Xi'an (the administrative center of Shaanxi province in Central China) to Burgas is approximately 20 days, after which goods continue their journey from the Bulgarian Black Sea coast onto the European rail network.
This logistical connectivity aligns with the European Union's large-scale plans, following European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's declaration of the Middle Corridor as a strategic connectivity initiative. In her annual State of the Union address, she presented the project as a means of directly linking Central Asia and the South Caucasus with the European market. Under the "Global Gateway" initiative, the EU plans to mobilize up to 12 billion euros in public and private investment. These funds are aimed at diversifying transport routes, tripling trade flows, and reducing freight transit times by 2030.
The media provides a briefing on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (the so-called Middle Corridor).