Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Georgia are moving to unify long-term tariffs for the Middle Corridor, a step that could reshape the economics of one of Eurasia’s most closely watched trade routes. The push is unfolding alongside a broader Brussels investment drive, where Kazakhstan and European partners signed transport-related deals worth about $462 million and reinforced the route’s strategic role for EU-Asia trade.

After roughly 100 days of disruption, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz has eased the immediate shock to global oil and gas markets, but it has not restored the old order. Traders, shippers, and buyers are now dealing with a market shaped by rerouted trade, tighter insurance and security requirements, and a stronger role for the Americas as a supply anchor.

The Iran war and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz have not caused a total supply breakdown for Europe, but they have clearly redrawn the continent’s diesel and gasoline map. The result is a faster shift toward the United States, Norway, the United Kingdom, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, India, and regional European hubs, while Gulf‑linked flows have become more expensive, slower, and less reliable.

Baku Energy Week 2026 arrived with the familiar choreography of an industry showcase, but this year’s edition carried a sharper edge. Held from 1 to 3 June in Azerbaijan’s capital, the gathering once again placed the Caspian state at the center of a dense conversation about gas supply, infrastructure, investment, and the slow, uneven evolution of the energy transition.