CASPIA presents an analytical interview with Samson Uridia, an expert in customs administration and trade facilitation.

On 30 October 2026, within the framework of the 11th meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Georgia, held in the city of Sighnaghi, a protocol on the practical arrangements for the joint international road border crossing point “Ipek Yolu” – “Abreshumis Gza” (“Silk Road”) was signed. The document was signed by Shahin Baghirov, Chairman of the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan, and Mamuka Baratashvili, Deputy Minister of Finance of Georgia and Head of the Revenue Service.

The new border crossing point is planned to be located on the border between Azerbaijan’s Aghstafa District and Georgia’s Gardabani Municipality, near the Boyuk Kesik–Gardabani railway crossing.

According to Samson Uridia, at first glance, this document may appear to be purely technical in nature. However, its significance for the development of the Middle Corridor is considerably broader. The expert considers the signing of the protocol one of the most important developments for the transport route in 2026. Its fundamental significance lies not so much in the construction of a new facility as in the sequence of actions taken by the two countries: Azerbaijan and Georgia first agreed on how the border crossing point should operate and only then moved towards its physical construction.

It is precisely this approach, the expert emphasises, that helps prevent a situation in which modern infrastructure ends up operating under outdated administrative procedures.

Border crossings as a key constraint on the Middle Corridor

Examining the prospects of the Middle Corridor, Samson Uridia points out that the main time losses in cargo transportation occur not so much along road or railway sections themselves as at border crossing points and ports. These are the locations where delays accumulate, significantly affecting overall delivery times and the competitiveness of the route.

To substantiate this assessment, the expert refers to the World Bank’s 2026 report, Integration: World-Class Trade Logistics Along the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor. The report emphasises that border procedures and logistics coordination represent some of the greatest opportunities for reducing transit times along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route.

As Uridia notes, a typical Middle Corridor journey involves crossing four to five national borders and completing up to ten procedures associated with entering and exiting customs transit regimes. Under current conditions, the average door-to-door delivery time for cargo transported between China and Europe along this route is approximately 47–50 days. Consequently, in terms of transit time, the route does not yet offer a significant advantage over maritime transportation, which takes approximately 45 days.

Nevertheless, according to World Bank estimates, the delivery time could be reduced to 18–19 days by 2040 if the necessary reforms are implemented consistently.

The expert also stresses the importance of interpreting transportation time indicators correctly. According to him, frequently cited delivery times of 13–17 days for cargo transported from China to Georgian or Turkish ports should not be understood as the duration of the entire door-to-door journey. These figures refer only to individual sections of the transport chain and therefore cannot be directly compared with the total delivery time between China and Europe.

Uridia attaches particular importance to the findings of the World Bank’s modelling concerning the relationship between infrastructure investment and institutional reforms. According to the estimates presented, infrastructure investment alone could reduce transportation times by approximately half. However, combining infrastructure investment with trade facilitation, cross-border cooperation and improvements in logistics services could reduce delivery times by roughly two-thirds.

It is the second scenario, in the expert’s assessment, that could make the Middle Corridor genuinely competitive in the container transportation market. In this context, joint border crossing points acquire particular importance. Their main advantage is that customs and border officials from both countries operate within a single control area. As a result, a freight vehicle can complete the agreed procedures at one location instead of stopping twice to undergo separate inspections on each side of the border.

Thus, the efficiency of a transport route depends not only on the quality of roads, railway lines and port facilities, but also on how effectively the government institutions responsible for cargo movement coordinate their activities.

What the Azerbaijan–Georgia protocol provides for

Explaining the practical content of the signed document, Samson Uridia notes that the protocol is based on the 2021 Baku Agreement on border crossing points, which originally envisaged the establishment of a new joint crossing.

The document was also developed with due consideration of the provisions of the Revised Kyoto Convention, the World Customs Organization’s Compendium on Risk Management, and the UNECE Convention on the Harmonization of Frontier Controls of Goods. In the expert’s assessment, several mechanisms provided for in the protocol are of particular importance.

First and foremost is the principle of a single control point. The customs and border services of Azerbaijan and Georgia are to operate within a common control area. The formalities related to departure from one country are completed first, after which the relevant signal is transmitted to representatives of the country of entry. This makes it possible to organise the sequential processing of cargo without requiring the repetition of similar procedures.

The second key element is the advance electronic transmission of information. Documents required for import, export and transit operations must be submitted simultaneously to both countries at least one hour before the vehicle arrives. Customs payments, meanwhile, will be made through banking systems.

Uridia believes that receiving information in advance will allow government agencies to begin processing documents before the freight vehicle actually reaches the border. This should reduce administrative delays and make the inspection process more organised.

Particular attention is also given to automation. Each vehicle will undergo automated checks using systems for recognising vehicle registration plates and container numbers, as well as video surveillance. Electronic seals and tracking devices will transmit the relevant signals to both sides.

Another important mechanism is the application of a risk-based control system. Under the proposed approach, in-depth inspections will be conducted only on cargo selected through risk analysis rather than being applied indiscriminately to all shipments.

In the expert’s view, this mechanism is essential for increasing the capacity of the crossing. It makes it possible to concentrate administrative and control resources on inspections that are genuinely necessary, without creating additional obstacles for compliant carriers.

The protocol also provides for the round-the-clock operation of the border crossing point for freight transport. At a later stage, the possibility of extending this operating regime to passenger cars and buses will also be considered.

Among the other provisions of the document, Uridia highlights the equal distribution of expenses related to shared facilities and infrastructure, as well as plans to establish a joint solar power plant.

The expert also considers the establishment of additional institutional coordination mechanisms an important element of the agreement’s implementation. In particular, the relevant authorities are expected to prepare a detailed procedural manual and establish a Joint Working Group responsible for addressing emerging issues and ensuring the coordinated application of the new rules.

The project will involve Azerbaijan’s State Customs Committee and State Border Service, as well as Georgia’s Revenue Service and Patrol Police.

Why procedures must be agreed upon before ınfrastructure ıs built

Samson Uridia believes that the most important lesson of the Azerbaijan–Georgia agreement lies precisely in the sequence chosen for the project’s implementation.

According to his observations, the development of border infrastructure often follows the opposite approach: a modern border crossing facility is built first, and only afterwards do authorities attempt to adapt existing administrative procedures to it.

As a result, even newly constructed and technologically advanced facilities may continue operating according to the old model. Two separate queues remain in place, inspections are duplicated, and documents already submitted electronically are still requested in paper form.

In the case of the joint “Silk Road” border crossing point, Azerbaijan and Georgia, in the expert’s assessment, have chosen a more rational approach. The signed protocol already establishes the organisation of traffic lanes, the sequence of control operations, the procedure for advance electronic data transmission and the application of risk assessment mechanisms.

This means that, at the next stage, designers will be able to base their work on an already agreed operational model for the facility. The arrangement of traffic lanes, inspection booths, inspection areas and other infrastructure components will be determined by the actual requirements of the procedures, rather than the other way around.

Uridia emphasises that this approach makes it possible to define the functional purpose of each infrastructure element from the outset and avoid the need for costly adjustments at a later stage.

The expected outcome is not only a substantial reduction in border-crossing times but also greater predictability in transportation operations.

The expert considers the latter factor particularly important for international freight transportation. For companies choosing a transport route, it is not only important how quickly cargo can reach its destination, but also how accurately its arrival time can be predicted.

Even a relatively short route may prove less attractive to a carrier if border delays cannot be anticipated in advance. Therefore, procedural stability and predictable delivery times are often just as important to shippers as transportation speed itself.

Azerbaijan and Georgia’s experience as a model for Central Asia

According to Samson Uridia, the significance of the protocol extends beyond bilateral cooperation between Baku and Tbilisi. This experience could also be of practical interest to other Central Asian countries, where border, railway and port infrastructure is undergoing active development.

The expert notes that new border complexes and logistics terminals have been built across the region at a rapid pace in recent years. Such investments are necessary; however, they do not, by themselves, guarantee greater efficiency in transport corridors.

The main lesson that can be drawn from the Azerbaijan–Georgia experience is the need to begin with what is commonly referred to as soft infrastructure. Before embarking on construction, neighbouring countries should agree on the legal framework for cooperation, the sequence of control operations, procedures for the advance exchange of electronic data and risk management mechanisms.

In Uridia’s assessment, countries that reach agreement on these issues in advance will be able to achieve significantly greater returns on every dollar invested in construction. Otherwise, even substantial investments in physical infrastructure may fail to deliver the expected increase in capacity if administrative procedures continue to generate additional delays.

Next steps in the project’s ımplementation and the role of ınternational financial ınstitutions

Speaking about the future prospects of the joint border crossing point, Samson Uridia identifies several successive tasks that will determine the practical implementation of the signed protocol. The first step must be the entry into force of the document. To achieve this, both parties need to complete the procedures required under their respective national legislation and exchange the relevant notifications.

The next step will involve signing a detailed implementation manual and establishing the Joint Working Group. In the expert’s view, it is essential that personnel from the relevant agencies in both countries receive the necessary training and operate according to unified rules even before the facility opens.

Following this, the agreed procedures must be directly incorporated into the construction design. The layout of traffic lanes, the positioning of inspection booths, inspection areas and information technology systems must comply with the provisions of the protocol and ensure their practical implementation.

The issue of financing is also of particular importance. In this regard, Uridia draws attention to the role of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), whose CAREC programme experts have already participated in the preparatory work on the project. In particular, ADB specialists supported the development of the draft agreement, operational procedures and initial design solutions as early as 2023. In 2024, further progress in architectural design was also reported.

Furthermore, within the framework of the CAREC programme, the Asian Development Bank is preparing a regional financing mechanism for the modernisation of border crossing points — the Border Crossing Point Improvement Facility. Its total volume is expected to reach USD 400 million over a ten-year period. The programme covers, among other countries, Azerbaijan and Georgia, with financing of up to USD 50 million potentially available for an individual project.

An additional support instrument was the ADB’s approval in 2026 of USD 1 million in technical assistance to prepare priority projects for next-generation border crossing points.

Uridia believes that the joint “Silk Road” border crossing point, for which the main procedural mechanisms have already been agreed upon, could become one of the promising candidates for such support.

The expert expresses hope that the Asian Development Bank will step up its involvement in the project, ensuring that design and construction work progresses as consistently and efficiently as the negotiations on procedural arrangements.

In conclusion, Samson Uridia notes that, provided all the envisaged stages are completed on time, construction work on the joint “Ipek Yolu” – “Abreshumis Gza” border crossing point could begin in the near future.

In his assessment, the practical significance of this project goes beyond the creation of yet another infrastructure facility on the Azerbaijan–Georgia border. It demonstrates to the wider region that the effectiveness of transport corridors is determined not only by the scale of construction and the volume of investment, but also by the quality of intergovernmental cooperation.