The CICA Summit in Baku was notable for its constructive atmosphere, productive discussions and a clear absence of political friction. It also underscored Azerbaijan’s growing role within the organisation: Baku’s chairmanship was extended for another two years.

One of the summit’s most consequential developments took place outside the official programme. On 15 October, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev inaugurated the Trans-Caspian Fibre-Optic Communication Line via video link - a project that could reshape digital connectivity across Eurasia.

The 380-kilometre cable runs along the Caspian seabed from Aktau in Kazakhstan to Sumgait in Azerbaijan. With a capacity of up to 400 Tbps, it will provide a high-speed digital route linking China and Central Asia with Europe through Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Georgia, with onward connections via the Black Sea or Türkiye.

The project is about far more than faster internet traffic. It strengthens the resilience of regional communications, creates an alternative route for international data flows and opens new opportunities for investment in AI data centres, cloud infrastructure and high-performance computing.

For Tokayev, the project represents a new type of regional cooperation and a new corridor with the potential to attract international attention. Aliyev stressed that the cable would serve not only Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, but also Central Asia, the South Caucasus and a wider geographic area. “Today, we have launched a global project,” Aliyev said.

The project was implemented by Kazakhtelecom and AzerTelecom. Its foundations were laid in March 2025, when the companies signed an agreement on the construction of a subsea fibre-optic line in the presence of the prime ministers of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.

Photo: AZERTAC

The idea itself is not new. Initial work began in 2019, when a launch ceremony was held in Aktau. In 2023, the two sides finalised the terms of cooperation and established CaspiLink B.V., a joint venture responsible for building and operating the cable. Extensive seabed studies were carried out last year, while cable-laying began from Sumgait in July 2026.

The cable was manufactured and tested in China by HMN Technologies, formerly known as Huawei Marine. Designed for deep-sea use, the armoured optical cable is equipped with ROPA optical amplifiers. It was delivered with supporting equipment to Kazakhstan’s Kuryk port, transported to Baku and loaded onto a cable-laying vessel.

The Trans-Caspian cable should be viewed as the digital component of the Middle Corridor. It is a central element of the wider Digital Silk Way initiative, which aims to create a telecommunications corridor connecting Azerbaijan, Georgia, Türkiye, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.

The Digital Silk Way has already drawn the attention of major global companies. It was presented at Dubai Expo and at Capacity Middle East 2022, where firms including Google, Ciena, Lumen, Neterra, China Telecom Global, China Mobile International, Vodafone Carrier Services, Turkcell Superonline, Vodafone Türkiye, Batelco and STC expressed interest. The initiative was also named one of Asia’s five leading strategic infrastructure projects at the Global Strategic Infrastructure Leadership Forum in the United States.

Yet the cable’s relevance may extend beyond the countries traditionally associated with the transit route.

In August, a data centre and AI factory opened in Hrazdan, Armenia. Representatives of the US-based company Firebird indicated that Armenia would not be its only market and that Kazakhstan was also under consideration. This has prompted discussion among Armenian analysts about the potential need to connect facilities in Armenia and Kazakhstan through the Caspian cable route running via Azerbaijan.

The logic is straightforward. As data centres and AI infrastructure emerge on opposite sides of the Caspian, the demand for reliable and secure data links will grow. For Armenia, Azerbaijan is the only practical gateway to Central Asia. Any major data connection from Armenia to the region, particularly one involving US technology, would inevitably have to pass through Azerbaijani territory.

By Anar Musayev