What benefits does the southern route offer?
The southern route offers an alternative to the route via Russia and connects Europe with Central Asia via Turkey, the Caucasus and the Caspian Sea.
The southern route offers an important alternative for international truck transports to Central Asia, especially when a route via Russia is not desired or not possible. It connects Europe with destination regions in Central Asia via Turkey, the Caucasus and the Caspian Sea.
One benefit is the possibility of reaching key markets such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan or the Caucasus via a southern transport corridor. Depending on the goods, destination country, consignee requirements and legal framework, this route can be strategically useful.
At the same time, the southern route requires particularly careful planning because several countries, border crossings, customs processes and the ferry connection across the Caspian Sea must be considered. Transit times can be influenced more strongly by port handling, ferry availability, weather, border clearance and transit formalities.