On June 23, 2026, in Brussels, the European Commission officially launched the Connectivity Agenda Platform and signed agreements with international financial institutions to help mobilize up to €2 billion in investments for the development of transport infrastructure, border crossings, and trade routes in the Black Sea region and the South Caucasus.
The initiative brings together EU member states, Armenia, Ukraine, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan. The platform will serve as a coordination mechanism for projects in transport, energy, digital infrastructure, and trade under the EU’s Global Gateway strategy.
The primary goal is the development of transport corridors between Europe and Asia through the Black Sea and the Caucasus. Investments are planned to target the modernization of roads and railways, development of port infrastructure, border crossings, logistics hubs, and the digitalization of customs procedures.
Participants paid special attention to the development of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor (Middle Corridor), which is viewed as one of the most critical alternative trade arteries between Europe and Central Asia.
For the countries of the Black Sea region and the South Caucasus, this signifies an opportunity to attract substantial investment, increase transit shipping, create new jobs, and strengthen the region’s role in international trade.
For Ukraine, the initiative holds particular significance in the context of developing the Black Sea vector and the future recovery of economic ties. New transport routes could unlock additional opportunities for exports, integration into international logistics chains, and participation in large-scale infrastructure projects.
In effect, the European Union is shaping a new system of economic links between Europe and Asia, where the Black Sea region and the South Caucasus are increasingly viewed as strategic transit hubs and spaces for long-term investment.
Author: Olena Shevchuk
Photo: from open sources