nCa Report
In an era defined by shifting trade routes and geopolitical uncertainty, an old regional initiative is quietly re-emerging with renewed relevance. The Ashgabat Agreement corridor—linking Central Asia to the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman—has moved back into focus as countries seek resilient, diversified pathways for trade.
What began in 2011 as a modest transport arrangement is now being reconsidered as a potentially important component of the broader Eurasian connectivity landscape.
From Vision to Framework
The Ashgabat Agreement, formally titled the Agreement on the Establishment of an International Transport and Transit Corridor, was signed in April 2011 by Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Oman, and Qatar. Its objective was straightforward but ambitious: to create a reliable, multimodal corridor facilitating the movement of goods and passengers between Central Asia and maritime outlets in the Gulf.
The agreement emphasized:
- Faster and more cost-efficient transit
- Harmonized customs procedures
- Better utilization of existing infrastructure
- Enhanced access to international markets
Over time, the membership evolved. Qatar withdrew in 2013, but the corridor expanded to include Kazakhstan (2015), Pakistan (2016), and India (2018)—broadening its geographic and economic scope.
Today, the corridor stretches across a wide arc:
Central Asia → Iran → Persian Gulf / Sea of Oman → South Asia
Importantly, the agreement remains open to new members, leaving space for future expansion.
Renewed Momentum in a Changing Environment
For several years, the corridor remained largely underutilized, constrained by sanctions on Iran, fragmented logistics systems, and limited coordination among participating countries.
That picture has begun to change.
Since 2025, there has been a noticeable uptick in diplomatic engagement. High-level discussions, including Uzbekistan–Oman talks in early 2026, have focused on expanding cargo transit through Omani ports such as Salalah and Duqm. Turkmenistan, for its part, has actively promoted transport diplomacy, positioning itself as a neutral and reliable transit hub.
A significant milestone came in April 2025, when Ashgabat hosted a roundtable dedicated to the Ashgabat Action Program (2024–2035). The discussions linked the corridor to the upcoming UN Decade of Sustainable Transport (2026–2035) and highlighted the importance of integrating Central Asia with the South Caucasus and beyond.
These developments suggest a shift from a largely conceptual framework toward a more structured and program-driven approach.
The Infrastructure Backbone
At its core, the Ashgabat corridor is a network rather than a single route, combining rail, road, and maritime components.
Rail : The Spine of the Corridor
The Kazakhstan–Turkmenistan–Iran (KTI) railway, operational since 2014, forms the backbone of the system. It connects northern Central Asia to Iran’s transport network, enabling onward access to seaports.
Efforts are underway to:
- Increase freight capacity
- Improve operational efficiency
- Introduce digital freight management systems
Ports: Gateways to Global Trade
The corridor relies on a set of strategically located ports:
- Iran: Bandar Abbas and Chabahar serve as key maritime gateways
- Oman: Salalah and Duqm provide access to global shipping routes
- Turkmenistan: Turkmenbashi port on the Caspian Sea connects the corridor to trans-Caspian networks
Road Networks
Complementary road links run parallel to the rail system, particularly across Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Iran. While functional, these networks are expected to see further upgrades.
The recent completion by Turkmenistan of an international quality highway is an important boost to this corridor.
Ashgabat Action Program (2024–2035): From Concept to Execution
Although the full text of the Ashgabat Action Program (2024–2035) is not widely published, available discussions and official statements point to several priority areas:
- Digitalization of transit procedures
(paperless trade, harmonized documentation) - Modernization of rail infrastructure
(especially the KTI corridor) - Expansion of port capacity
(notably Turkmenbashi and integration with Gulf ports) - Interoperability with other corridors
(including routes across the Caspian and beyond)
The emphasis is not only on building infrastructure but also on improving the systems that govern how goods move across borders.
A Corridor Within a Larger Network
The Ashgabat corridor does not operate in isolation. Increasingly, it intersects with other major connectivity initiatives, including:
- the International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC)
- trans-Caspian routes linking Central Asia to the South Caucasus and Europe
This overlap is gradually transforming it into part of a broader Eurasian transport matrix, where multiple corridors complement rather than compete with one another.
Geopolitics and the Hormuz Factor
Recent tensions affecting the Strait of Hormuz have added a new dimension to the corridor’s relevance.
As maritime risks fluctuate—whether due to security concerns or rising costs—countries are paying greater attention to alternative and supplementary routes. In this context, the Ashgabat corridor offers:
- diversification of trade pathways
- partial mitigation of chokepoint risks
- increased flexibility in logistics planning
At the same time, limitations remain. Inland multimodal routes cannot fully match the scale and cost-efficiency of maritime shipping. Moreover, the corridor’s reliance on Iran as a central transit country introduces a layer of geopolitical uncertainty.
A Strategic Supplement, Not a Substitute
The evolving situation suggests that the Ashgabat corridor is best understood not as a replacement for existing routes, but as a strategic complement.
Its importance has clearly increased:
- Central Asian states are seeking diversified access to global markets
- regional cooperation on transport is gaining momentum
- global trade patterns are becoming more fragmented
Yet challenges persist:
- infrastructure gaps
- coordination mechanisms still in development
- geopolitical sensitivities
Looking Ahead
More than a decade after its inception, the Ashgabat corridor stands at a turning point.
If current efforts under the Ashgabat Action Program (2024–2035) translate into tangible improvements—both in infrastructure and in regulatory frameworks—the corridor could evolve into a vital artery linking Central Asia with the wider world.
If progress remains uneven, it may continue to exist as a promising but underutilized concept, periodically rediscovered during moments of global disruption.
For now, however, one thing is clear:
what was once a quiet regional initiative is steadily gaining strategic weight in an increasingly interconnected—and uncertain—world.
Complete text of Ashgabat Declaration
AGREEMENT on the Establishment of an International Transport and Transit Corridor between the Governments of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Qatar, Turkmenistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan
(Ashgabat Agreement)
The Governments of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Qatar, Turkmenistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan, hereinafter referred to as the “Contracting Parties”,
Desiring to support and consolidate cooperation and develop economic relations among themselves,
Recognizing the existing process of further strengthening and expanding the economic relations among their peoples at the regional and global levels,
Acknowledging the importance of the existence of international agreements on the transport of Goods in Transit through the infrastructures airways, roads and ports, as well as the need to accelerate the sustainable economic development of their countries,
Emphasizing their commitment to provide the necessary facilities for the quick, smooth and efficient Transport and Transit of Goods and Passengers to and from other states, and to benefit from their geographic locations,
Expressing their willingness to develop and improve their capabilities to facilitate the Transport and Transit of Goods and Passengers based on existing national legislation and according to the international conventions and standards of transportation,
Wishing to exert every possible effort for the use of the existing transportation infrastructure for the Transport and Transit of Goods and Passengers through their territories,
Have agreed as follows:
Article (1) Definitions
Terms and definitions, used in this Agreement, shall have the following meanings:
a. Carrier: any natural or legal person registered in the territory of one Contracting Party and entitled in accordance with its national legislation to carry out international transportation of Passengers and Goods.
b. Founding Parties: collectively the Governments of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Qatar, Turkmenistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan.
c. Goods: all types of goods and items (with Harmonized System Codes) that the Carrier undertakes to transport by virtue of a transport contract through the International Transport and Transit Corridor.
d. Hazardous Goods: any materials, products, wastes, which because of their characteristics may, in the process of transportation, loading or unloading cause an explosion, fire or damages to Goods and transport infrastructures as well as life, health, environment and national security.
e. International Transport and Transit Corridor: a network of main transportation systems connecting the states of the Contracting Parties intended for the international transportation of Goods and Passengers by land or sea transportation.
f. International Transportation: the movement of Goods and Passengers by various modes of transportation (land or sea) through the national territories of the Contracting Parties.
g. Investment: any investment provided by any entity, financial institution or donor for the development of transport infrastructure projects along the International Transport and Transit Corridor.
h. Multimodal Transport: the transportation of Goods by at least two different modes of transportation.
i. Passenger: any person who pays transportation fees to travel from one place to another by land or sea transportation through the International Transport and Transit Corridor.
1. Passenger’s Transportation: the transportation service for the transfer of a Passenger by land or sea transportation through the International Transport and Transit Corridor.
k. Perishable Goods: any type of Goods which require protective measures and fast transit procedures crossing the border (land and sea) and through the International Transport and Transit Corridor.
l. Port: the places where ships dock and are open to international maritime navigation and are used to load and unload Goods and for the embarkation and disembarkation of Passengers.
m. Transit: the transportation of Goods and Passengers across the territory of one Contracting Party through the International Transport and Transit Corridor in which the points of origin and destination are located outside the territory of that Contracting Party,
n. Transportation of Goods: the transportation of Goods from one place to another against transportation fees.
Article (2) General Scope of the Agreement
1. The provisions of this Agreement shall regulate the International Transport and Transit of Goods and Passengers through the territories of the states of the Contracting Parties carried out by any modes of transportation (land and sea) along the routes approved by the Coordination Council which shall be formed in accordance with Article 9 of this Agreement.
2. For the implementation of this Agreement, the competent authorities of the Contracting Parties shall be as follows:
– In the Islamic Republic of Iran: The Ministry of Roads and Transportation;
– In the Sultanate of Oman: The Ministry of Transport and Communications;
– In the State of Qatar: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs – International Cooperation;
– In Turkmenistan: The Ministry of Railway Transport, the Ministry of Motor Transport and the State Service of Maritime and River Transportation;
– In the Republic of Uzbekistan: The Ministry for Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade, the Uzbek Agency for Automobile and River Transport and the State Joint Stock Railway Company “Uzbekistan Railways”.
3. This Agreement shall not contradict the rights and obligations of any of the Contracting Parties arising from international agreements and treaties to which they are parties, including those concluded between the Contracting Parties.
Article (3) Objectives of the Agreement
The Contracting Parties shall:
1. Create a reliable transport corridor for the regular Transport and Transit of Goods and Passengers between the countries of Middle Asia and the Ports of the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman and the export-import of Goods through the International Transport and Transit Corridor.
2. Increase the speed of the Transport of Goods and Passengers with the aim of optimizing transport costs.
3. Increase the efficiency of using the Transport and Transit potential of the Contracting Parties.
4. Attract transit Goods of other countries through the International Transport and Transit Corridor.
5. Increase the effectiveness of transport ties in order to regulate the Transport and Transit of Goods and Passengers through the territories of the Contracting Parties.
6. Facilitate access to international markets by using land/sea transportation through the International Transport and Transit Corridor.
7. Ensure travel safety and implement international safety standards with respect to the Transport and Transit of Goods and Passengers, as well as environmental protection in accordance with international standards.
8. Set up equal and non-discriminative conditions for all modes of transport service providers in the territories of the Contracting Parties.
9. Simplify and harmonize official documents and procedures governing the International Transport and Transit of Goods and Passengers in accordance with the existing international standards and agreements.
Article (4) International Transport and Transit Corridor
1. By virtue of this Agreement, the Contracting Parties shall establish an international transport and transit corridor linking states of Middle Asia and the Ports of the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman to be referred to as the “International Transport and Transit Corridor”.
2. The Contracting Parties shall determine the routes of the International Transport and Transit Corridor and indicate the infrastructure and modes of transportation which will be used to transport Goods and Passengers.
3. The Contracting Parties shall take all the necessary measures to provide assistance to each other through Investment in transport infrastructure projects along the International Transport and Transit Corridor.
Article (5) Facilities Extended for the International Transport
and Transit of Goods and Passengers
1. During the implementation of this Agreement, the Contracting Parties shall provide effective facilities in respect with the international Transport and Transit of Goods and Passengers through their territories in accordance with their national legislation.
2. Each Contracting Party shall facilitate the granting of visas to the citizens of the other Contracting Party who are engaged in International Transport and Transit of Goods and Passengers in accordance with its national legislation.
Article (6) Rules Governing the Transportation of Hazardous, Prohibited or Dual Use Goods
It is prohibited under this Agreement to Transport and Transit Hazardous, prohibited or dual use Goods through the territory of a Contracting Party without prior permit from that Contracting Party. The Contracting Parties shall specify these Goods, which shall be compiled by the Follow-up Committee formed in accordance with Article 10 of this Agreement in an additional protocol and circulated by the Coordination Council.
Article (7) Rules Governing the Transportation
of Perishable Goods
The Contracting Parties shall facilitate and accelerate the Transit of Perishable Goods while crossing the borders of the Contracting Parties without unreasonable delay.
Article (8) Taxes and Duties
1. The Contracting Parties shall seek to optimize government taxes, excises and other duties, regardless of their nature or purpose, including charges emanating from the services on Goods in Transit.
2. Charges emanating from the services rendered by service providers may be levied on Goods in Transit.
3. The Coordination Council shall agree on establishing a mechanism to optimize the levels of these charges, taxes and duties.
Article (9) Coordination Council
1. For the purpose of the implementation of this Agreement the Contracting Parties shall form a Coordination Council entrusted with the following authorities:
a. Regulate the issues related to the implementation and application of the provisions of this Agreement.
b. Address the economic, organizational, technical and legal issues relating to the creation of the International Transport and Transit Corridor.
c. Elaborate proposals on increasing the flow of Goods in Transit and increasing the attractiveness of the International Transport and Transit Corridor.
d. Approve the routes of the International Transport and Transit Corridor.
e. Develop proposals for the optimization of costs of the transport and transit of Goods and Passengers through the International Transport and Transit Corridor with the extensive use of Multimodal Transport.
2. The Coordination Council shall hold its first meeting within six months of the entry into force of this Agreement to set the Council’s rules and procedures, as well as determine the mechanism of the functioning of the Follow-up Committee.
3. The Coordination Council shall meet at least once a year alternatively in the territories of the Contracting Parties in accordance with the English alphabetical order or at the request of any of the Contracting Parties.
Article (10) Follow-up Committee
1. The Contracting Parties shall form a Follow-up Committee composed of its representative within two (2) months after the coming into force of this Agreement. The Committee shall meet to organize its work within three (3) months of its formation.
2. The Follow-up Committee shall have the following tasks:
a. Determine the routes of the International Transport and Transit Corridor.
b. Prepare studies related to taxes, charges and tariffs currently applied at Ports and border checkpoints by each Contracting Party and submit proposals in order to increase attractiveness of the International Transport and Transit Corridor.
c. Prepare studies related to the facilitation of the transportation of Goods through the territories of the Contracting Parties, taking into account veterinarian and agricultural quarantine as well as prohibited and restricted Goods.
d. Prepare proposals to achieve the objectives of this Agreement in such a manner that shall not contradict the national legislation of any Contracting Party.
e. Prepare and draft programs and protocols emanating from this Agreement.
f. Suggest proposals to harmonize and coordinate transport and transit policies in order to develop the International Transport and Transit Corridor and the necessary infrastructure, facilities and terminals (ports and border checkpoints).
g. Suggest proposals in order to increase the flow of Goods in Transit through the International Transport and Transit Corridor.
h. Prepare periodic and comprehensive reports on the progress of the implementation of this Agreement.
3. The Follow-up Committee may, as appropriate, study the articles of the International Convention on the Simplification and Harmonization of Customs Procedures, which was done at Kyoto, Japan, on 18 May 1973, with its amended text regarding transit transportation, and make proposals.
Article (11) Settlement of Disputes
1. Any dispute between any of the Contracting Parties arising from the interpretation or application of this Agreement shall be settled through negotiations between the concerned parties.
2. If the parties concerned in the dispute fail to reach a settlement through negotiations within nine (9) months from the beginning of negotiations, the dispute shall be referred to the Coordination Council.
3. If the Coordination Council fails to resolve the dispute within one (1) year of the dispute being referred to it, it shall be settled by arbitration. The parties in the dispute shall agree on the method of arbitration.
Article (12) Accession
1. This Agreement shall remain open for accession by any country.
2. Any country intending to accede to this Agreement shall notify the Depository State in writing of its intention to accede. The Depositary State shall transmit the same to the Founding Parties for their consideration.
3. This Agreement shall come into force for the acceded party thirty (30) days after the Depository State receives the last written approval from the Founding Party.
Article (13) Depository State
Turkmenistan shall be the Depository State of this Agreement. The Depository State shall transmit certified copies of this Agreement to the Contracting Parties. The Depository State shall inform the Contracting Parties regarding accession by the other countries to this Agreement and withdrawal from this Agreement by any Party.
Article (14) Amendments
This Agreement may be amended after approval by all Contracting Parties. All amendments shall form an integral part of this Agreement upon signature by all Contracting Parties.
Article (15) Entry into Force
This Agreement shall enter into force thirty days (30) after the date of submitting the last written notification from the Founding Parties to the Depository State through the diplomatic channels on the completion of all the necessary legal procedures or ratification for its entry into force. The Depository State shall notify the other Parties of such notifications.
Article (16) Duration
- This Agreement shall remain valid for a period of ten (10) years from the date of its entry into force.
- Any Contracting Party may withdraw from this Agreement by informing the Depository State of its intention to withdraw from the Agreement at least six months prior to the date the withdrawal takes place.
- This Agreement may be extended for a similar period by the agreement of all Founding Parties.
Signed in Ashgabat on 25 April 2011 corresponding to S Ordibehesht 1390 (Persian Calendar) and 22 Jumada al-awwal 1432 A.H. in one original copy in the Arabic, Persian, Uzbek, Turkmen, Russian and English languages, all texts being equally authentic. In case of a divergence in interpretation, the English text shall prevail.
In witness whereof the representatives of the Contracting Parties, authorized by Heads of States, have duly signed this Agreement.
For the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran
For the Government of the Sultanate of Oman
For the Government of the State of Qatar
For the Government of Turkmenistan
For the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan
[This text from https://almeezan.qa/ClarificationsNoteDetails.aspx?id=18358&language=ar] /// nCa, 7 May 2026