Project Update
OSCE Continues to Advance Sustainable Connectivity in the Caspian Sea Region with First Site Visits to Key Ports in Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan
- Issued on:
- Issued by:
- Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities
- Fields of work:
- Economic activities, Environmental activities
As part of phase III of its flagship project on Promoting green ports and connectivity, supporting seaports in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Georgia, and Turkmenistan to foster diversified, resilient, and sustainable connectivity across the OSCE region, from 20 to 24 April 2026 the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) conducted a series of site visits to the ports of Baku (Azerbaijan) and Aktau and Kuryk (Kazakhstan).
The visits and consultations focused on assessing operational needs, climate risks, infrastructure constraints, and digitalisation gaps at a critical moment, as transit volumes along the corridor are forecasted to increase. Strengthening resilience to these risks is essential to ensure that growing transit demand can be met in a sustainable and efficient manner.
Discussions addressed key challenges covered by the OSCE’s project, including declining sea levels, extreme temperature conditions, energy supply constraints, and limitations in data systems and infrastructure resilience. At the same time, participants explored opportunities related to renewable energy deployment, environmental monitoring systems, alternative fuels, and integrated digital platforms.
As a result, port authorities strengthened their understanding of climate, energy, and operational risks, as well as related policy and infrastructure gaps. Together with project partners, they identified priority actions to enhance sustainability, resilience, and operational efficiency. These will be supported under the project in the coming years, including through the development of climate adaptation measures, real-time environmental monitoring systems, and digital twins.
Further site visits to beneficiary ports in Georgia and Turkmenistan are planned in the coming months. The activity was implemented in partnership with RINA and Hamburg Port Consulting (HPC) and it’s part of the OSCE extrabudgetary project on Promoting green ports and connectivity in the Caspian Sea region, funded by Germany and Italy.