The Caspian Sea at a Turning Point

On May 29, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Turkmen Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov in Washington. The issue of diversifying Turkmen gas exports through the Trans-Caspian route was at the center of the discussions.

On June 1, Azerbaijan’s capital will host one of the region’s largest energy gatherings, Baku Energy Week 2026, whose centerpiece will be the 31st Baku Energy Forum.

Military operations against Iran have disrupted trade flows across Eurasia, weakening the International North–South Transport Corridor and accelerating cargo diversion to the Trans-Caspian Middle Corridor, officials and industry sources said.

The wars in Iran and Ukraine have sharply increased the strategic importance of the so-called Middle Corridor linking Asia and Europe, as traditional trade routes face disruptions and energy prices surge, officials and analysts say.