European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced a new international European Union (EU) project to directly connect the South Caucasus and Central Asia directly to the European market. The project will be developed within the framework of a transport route known as the “Middle Corridor.” Von der Leyen announced this during her 2026 State of the European Union address Wednesday at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.

According to the European Commission chief, the EU expects to attract up to €12 billion in public and private investment through the Global Gateway strategy to develop this project.

Von der Leyen noted that their objective is to diversify routes and considerably reduce duration of freight transport.

The “Middle Corridor” is a transport route between China and Europe that runs through Central Asia, the Caspian Sea, the South Caucasus, and Turkey. Its development is seen as a way to expand alternative trade routes between Asia and Europe.