The European Commission has officially launched the Connectivity Agenda Platform and finalized agreements with international financial institutions that are expected to mobilise up to €2 billion for strategic connectivity projects across the Black Sea region and the South Caucasus. The initiative marks a significant step in advancing regional cooperation and infrastructure development under the EU framework.
The announcement was made during a high-level ministerial gathering hosted by Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Síkela and Commissioner for Sustainable Transport Apostolos Tzitzikostas. Ministers responsible for transport and senior officials from EU Member States, Armenia, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Türkiye, Ukraine and Uzbekistan attended the meeting, together with representatives from the G7 and international financial institutions. Discussions focused on progressing the Cross-regional Connectivity Agenda under the Global Gateway strategy.
New Framework to Coordinate Investments and Improve Corridor Performance
Through the newly established Connectivity Agenda Platform, participating countries, international financial institutions and other stakeholders will be provided with a structured framework to coordinate policy measures and investment activities spanning transport, energy, digital connectivity and trade. During the discussions, participants also agreed on the need to further improve the operational performance of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor. As part of this effort, they invited the Commission to evaluate how the corridor is functioning and identify priority measures aimed at enhancing its competitiveness.
Financial Commitments Support Cross-Border Connectivity Goals
To help deliver the objectives of the Connectivity Agenda, the Commission concluded statements of intent with international financial institutions that are expected to mobilise up to €2 billion. The funding is intended for transport infrastructure, border crossing points and trade facilitation measures throughout the Black Sea region and the South Caucasus. These planned investments are designed to improve cross-border connectivity and support smoother trade flows across across the Black Sea region and the South Caucasus.
Connectivity Agenda Builds on Earlier Regional Initiatives
The Cross-regional Connectivity Agenda was first presented during the Cross-regional Security and Connectivity Ministerial Meeting in Luxembourg in October 2025. As part of the EU’s Global Gateway strategy, the initiative seeks to strengthen transport, energy and digital links between the European Union and Central Asia through the South Caucasus and the Black Sea region by coordinating strategic investments and regulatory cooperation.
The importance of these efforts was further underscored at the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor (TCTC) and Connectivity Investors Forum in Tashkent in November 2025, where participants emphasized the corridor’s increasing strategic value as a resilient and efficient route connecting Europe and Central Asia.
