Kazakhstan’s infrastructure developer SEMURG INVEST and MEDLOG, the logistics operator of Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC Group), the world’s largest container shipping company, have announced a strategic partnership to enter the Kazakh market.

The cooperation is aimed at strengthening East-West transport connectivity and diversifying export routes from Central Asia to Türkiye and Europe, The Caspian Post reports, citing Qazinform.

The project follows a June 2026 meeting in Brussels between Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and MSC Senior Vice President Eduard Sigrist, held with the support of the President’s Executive Office. The discussions focused on increasing containerization, developing the Middle Corridor, utilizing the Kuryk port, and expanding MSC’s presence in Kazakhstan. Tokayev has previously identified the Middle Corridor as a strategic priority for the country.

Under the initiative, the partners will develop Sarzha Logistics as a strategic platform for container flows across Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. The project will combine SEMURG’s local infrastructure with MEDLOG’s global logistics network and cover the development of the Middle Corridor, off-dock terminals, dry ports, rail infrastructure, and intermodal facilities.

The partnership will build on SEMURG’s infrastructure assets at the Kuryk port on the Caspian Sea. Development of the Sarzha Caspian cluster is expected to provide up to 5 million tons of additional annual cargo-handling capacity, including container throughput of up to 110,000 TEU.

“We are pleased to see that, following the dialogue between President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and the leadership of MSC Group in Brussels, our cooperation is moving into practical implementation. This is yet another sign of confidence in Kazakhstan and proof of the ability of international and local partners to jointly build a competitive business,” said Nurzhan Marabayev, CEO of SEMURG INVEST.

MEDLOG will integrate Kazakh routes into its international network of more than 470 logistics facilities, which handle around 10 million TEU annually. MSC’s wider network connects the region with 520 ports in 155 countries worldwide.

The launch of the partnership represents a new stage in the development of Eurasia’s logistics network. The combination of Kazakhstan’s Caspian port infrastructure and MSC Group’s global logistics capabilities is expected to provide alternative routes for Central Asian exporters and strengthen Kazakhstan’s role as a transit hub.