Azerbaijan Railways CJSC (ADY) and China's Xi'an Free Trade Port Construction and Operation Co., Ltd. have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), EDnews reports, citing ADY.
According to the document signed during the working trip of the ADY's delegation to China, ADY has appointed a representative at Xi'an Port and opened a container yard.
Thanks to this document, the parties have identified new areas of cooperation in railway transport and transit, as well as in the implementation of digital projects.
During a meeting with the mayor of Xi'an, Ye Niuping, and officials from Xi'an Port, ADY Chairman Rovshan Rustamov noted that expanding cooperation in transit transportation between Azerbaijan and China and the development of the Middle Corridor has become a requirement of the day.
He mentioned that President Ilham Aliyev's visit to China in April 2025 and the joint document signed during this visit for the development of comprehensive strategic relations made a significant contribution to joint activities within the Belt and Road Initiative.
Recalling the recent meetings between the leadership of ADY and Xi'an Port, Rustamov stated that the negotiations have already yielded results and the implementation of joint initiatives has begun.
The ADY chairman described the signing of the MoU, the appointment of an ADY representative at Xi'an Port under this document, the opening of a container yard with an annual handling capacity of 20,000 TEU, and providing ADY representatives with access to Xi'an Port's operating system for rapid information exchange as an important step in expanding the capabilities of the Middle Corridor and developing cooperation to increase cargo flows through this corridor.
Rustamov also provided detailed information about Baku Port to Chinese partners, noting that Baku International Sea Port, which plays an important role in ensuring cargo flow between Asia and Europe, has recently officially integrated into ADY's structure, and this step allows for more efficient coordination of port-railway operations and provides complex and optimized logistics services.
Yuan Xiaojun, CEO of Xi'an Free Trade Port Construction and Operation Co., Ltd., expressed support for the appointment of ADY's representative at Xi'an Port and the creation of a container yard. He stated that the ADY representative appointed to Xi'an and the container yard will ensure strengthened cooperation, operational discussions for faster and more efficient organization of cargo transportation, and the implementation of appropriate steps.
At the same time, ADY and Xi'an Free Trade Port Construction and Operation Co., Ltd. have confirmed joint activities to expand cooperation in organizing container trains along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR or Middle Corridor), increasing the transit capacity of railways, ports, and transportation across the Caspian Sea along the Middle Corridor, expanding access to Türkiye and Europe via the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway line, and attracting additional cargo flows by developing data-based traffic schedules.
The parties have also agreed to work together to create a real-time cargo tracking and electronic data exchange system for broader cooperation in the field of digitalization.
This important document, which will further expand ADY's international relations, especially the existing cooperation with China's Xi'an Port, will contribute to strengthening cooperation between Azerbaijan and China in the railway sector and increasing the efficiency of transportation along the Middle Corridor.
In March 2025, the first container block train was dispatched from Xi'an Port via the Middle Corridor. The first train covered the distance to Baku in 11 days. In November 2024, the first export block train with 62 40-foot containers was sent from Azerbaijan to Xi'an Port in China.
Currently, two block trains are sent from Baku to Xi'an monthly. As a result, local entrepreneurs have been provided with the opportunity to directly export their goods to the Chinese market.
