申盖尔说，作为中欧班列南通道与土耳其铁路网衔接的首个站点，"卡尔斯迎来了发展新机遇"。随 着未来货运量增长，这一集装箱班列的开行"将使卡尔斯发展成为重要的物流和中转枢纽"。"未来我们 还需要加大铁路基础设施投资和现代化升级改造，以提高集装箱班列的运输速度和效率。" 申盖尔说，未来卡尔斯计划建立一个以铁路运输为基础的产业生态系统，同时加强城市基础设施建 设，支持当地企业向全球市场扩张。为了吸引中国投资者，卡尔斯将简化外商投资程序，提供更加公平 透明的营商环境。 申盖尔说，卡尔斯是历史上东西方文化交汇的重要枢纽，相信卡尔斯的"丝路城市"概念、自然美景 和当地美食等元素能够吸引中国游客。卡尔斯今后将与中国地方政府开展文旅合作，吸引更多中国游客 来访。 "中间走廊"也称跨里海国际运输走廊，起自中国，经哈萨克斯坦和里海水域至阿塞拜疆、格鲁吉 亚，并可延伸至土耳其和欧洲国家。通过该走廊可大幅缩短中国和欧洲之间陆上和海洋运输时间。2015 年，中土两国签署了关于对接"一带一路"倡议和"中间走廊"计划的谅解备忘录。 作为"中间走廊"计划的重要组成部分，连接阿塞拜疆、格鲁吉亚和土耳其三国的巴库—第比利斯— 卡尔斯铁路线于201 ...

"中间走廊"也称跨里海国际运输走廊，是一条多式联运路线，起自中国，经哈萨克斯坦、里海水 域、阿塞拜疆、格鲁吉亚并延伸至土耳其和欧洲国家。中土两国2015年签署关于对接"一带一路"倡议 和"中间走廊"计划的谅解备忘录。 据了解，受通关效率、里海天气等多重因素影响，中欧班列从中国出境经"中间走廊"入境土耳其， 以往用时经常超过20天。近年来，在各方共同努力下，"中间走廊"货运时效逐步提高。 厄斯库尔特告诉新华社记者，中欧班列经"中间走廊"抵达土耳其用时缩短，对中国、土耳其和欧洲 来说，都是向前迈出重要一步。他说，未来目标是将阿拉山口至卡尔斯段用时缩短至10天。 新华社伊斯坦布尔8月4日电（记者王腾飞 张雨阳）土耳其交通和基础设施部副部长恩维尔·厄斯库 尔特4日说，中欧班列经"中间走廊"从中国出境到入境土耳其用时已缩短至15天。 当天在土耳其伊斯坦布尔市举行的一场发车仪式上，两列从中国抵达土耳其的中欧班列从伊斯坦布 尔出发，分别开往波兰罗兹市、匈牙利首都布达佩斯。厄斯库尔特介绍说，其中一列发自成都，运载 508吨货物，从新疆阿拉山口，经"中间走廊"，抵达土耳其东部边城卡尔斯，用时缩短至15天。 ...

Group 1 - Azerbaijan President Aliyev highly values the relationship with China, stating that China is an important strategic partner for Azerbaijan [1][2] - Recent significant events in bilateral relations include the signing of two key documents: a joint declaration on establishing a strategic partnership in 2024 and a joint declaration on establishing a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2025, indicating a high level of mutual trust [1][2] - Azerbaijan respects China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, firmly supports the One China policy, and believes in the broad prospects for cooperation between the two countries [2] Group 2 - Increased civil exchanges between Azerbaijan and China are attributed to the signing of a visa exemption agreement, which will promote connections among students, entrepreneurs, and citizens [2] - Azerbaijan's strong support for the Belt and Road Initiative is highlighted, with the country having built necessary transportation and logistics infrastructure to enhance connectivity [2] - Trade and transportation exchanges between Azerbaijan and China are rapidly growing, with expectations of a doubling trend in the coming years, supported by new transport corridors like the "Middle Corridor" [2] - Energy cooperation between Azerbaijan and China is deepening, with Chinese companies actively participating in the development of Azerbaijan's solar and wind energy sectors [2]

Group 1 - The event "China-Turkey Cooperation: Building the Future Together" was held in Istanbul, focusing on deepening economic and cultural exchanges between China and Turkey [1][2] - The Chinese Consul General in Istanbul, Wei Xiaodong, highlighted the significance of the 15th anniversary of the China-Turkey strategic partnership and the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative [1] - The event aimed to provide a platform for Turkish media and Chinese enterprises to exchange views and promote cooperation, enhancing mutual understanding between the two nations [1][2] Group 2 - The Chairman of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Turkey) and President of the Chinese Enterprises Association, Hou Qian, expressed gratitude for the event, emphasizing the expansion of economic cooperation channels [2] - The event provided valuable opportunities for Turkish institutions to understand China better and explore collaboration avenues [2] - Representatives from major Chinese enterprises, including China Bank, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Huawei, and State Power Investment Corporation, presented their core business operations [2]

Core Points - Kazakhstan's Ministry of Transport announced the dredging of the Caspian Sea waters around the Aktau Port to enhance the capacity of the important transport route connecting Asia and Europe [1][2] - The "Middle Corridor" trade route spans 11,000 kilometers and involves multimodal transport methods, including rail and maritime [1] - The European Union announced a €10 billion investment to develop this route through Central Asia, highlighting its growing geopolitical and economic significance [1] - The ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and Western sanctions on Russia have prompted Europe to seek alternative import routes from China and Asia [1] Dredging Project - The dredging project at Aktau Port is crucial for improving navigation efficiency, as the declining water levels in the Caspian Sea have severely impacted the route's operational capacity [2] - The dredging work is set to begin in May 2023, with funding from Kazakhstan's national railway company and government allocations, aiming for partial completion within the year [2] - The dredging is part of Kazakhstan's strategy to enhance the Middle Corridor's capacity, facilitating the export of oil, refined oil, fertilizers, and agricultural products [2] Trade Relations - Kazakhstan is increasingly becoming a key node for trade between Asia and Europe, with growing cooperation with Chinese enterprises to develop the Aktau Port container hub [2] - In December 2022, Kazakhstan's Ministry of Transport announced a test agreement with China for transporting lithium batteries through the Middle Corridor to Europe [2] - Besides the Middle Corridor, goods from China can also reach Europe via northern routes through Russia or southern routes through Iran and Turkey [3]