Kazakhstan partners with MEDLOG Poti to expand container routes between Central Asia and Europe

# What happened SEMURG INVEST, a Kazakh infrastructure developer and investor, and MEDLOG Poti, a logistics operator within the MSC Group, signed a sale and purchase agreement to form an equal partnership in Sarzha Logistics. The partnership is designed to expand container and multimodal freight flows across Central Asia and strengthen connections to Türkiye and European markets.

# Why this matters Central Asian states are seeking diversified, resilient routes between Asia and Europe. This deal pairs SEMURG's local project and infrastructure capabilities with MEDLOG and MSC's international shipping and logistics network, creating an operational base to route cargo along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (the Middle Corridor). For shippers, the arrangement aims to open more direct multimodal options through the Caspian Sea and Georgia into Türkiye and Europe.

# What the partnership will do Sarzha Logistics will operate container flows in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan. The cooperation may cover logistics terminals, dry ports, railway infrastructure and other intermodal facilities. The Sarzha Multifunctional Maritime Terminal cluster at Kuryk on Kazakhstan's Caspian coast is central to the plan.

Planned capacity for Sarzha includes handling up to 5 million tonnes of cargo per year and container throughput around 110,000 TEUs annually. Sarzha is being developed as a multimodal port, logistics and industrial cluster that combines maritime terminals with logistics facilities and connecting rail and road infrastructure to provide additional cargo-handling capacity for Central Asia.

# How the partners position their capabilities SEMURG INVEST brings local infrastructure and project development experience, including assets at Kuryk port. MEDLOG Poti and MSC contribute an international logistics network, presence in Georgia, and access to global shipping services. MEDLOG Poti's managing director described the deal as an opportunity to develop integrated logistics solutions along the Middle Corridor linking Central Asia with Türkiye, Georgia and Europe.

# Where this fits in regional transport plans The agreement aligns with broader moves in the region to enhance the Trans-Caspian route as an alternative East-West corridor. Other initiatives referenced in contemporaneous reporting include projects to expand multimodal terminals in Aktau and government-level discussions with China on boosting Middle Corridor connectivity.

# Immediate implications and near-term focus

• Operationalizing Sarzha Logistics will require investments across terminals, rail and road integration, and customs/logistics coordination across multiple countries.
• Kuryk port will be the focal maritime node on Kazakhstan's Caspian coast.
• The partnership signals increased private-sector-led development of infrastructure meant to scale container flows on the Middle Corridor.

# Bottom line The SEMURG–MEDLOG Poti joint venture creates a locally anchored operator backed by an international shipping network. Its stated goal is to expand container and multimodal cargo between Central Asia and Europe via the Trans-Caspian route, using Kuryk's Sarzha terminal cluster as the logistical hub.