The European Investment Bank ( EIB ) is providing a €150 million ( US$171 million ) framework loan to Kazakhstan to rehabilitate strategic road infrastructure along the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor ( TCTC ), a key route connecting Central Asia and Europe.

Backed by the European Union under the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument ( NDICI – Global Europe ) framework, the financing will support investments implemented by Kazakhstan's national road operator QazAvtoZhol. It aims to improve transport connectivity, strengthen road safety and climate resilience, and facilitate trade and economic development across the region.

The investment forms part of the European Union's Global Gateway strategy and follows a memorandum of understanding signed between the EIB and Kazakhstan in 2024 to strengthen sustainable transport connections between Europe and Asia.

The programme will finance the rehabilitation of approximately 1,370 kilometres of roads across central and southern Kazakhstan, including sections linking the country with neighbouring Central Asian states. By improving transport efficiency and resilience, the investment seeks to reduce travel times, improve road conditions and facilitate the movement of goods and people along one of the region's most important transport corridors.

"By investing in key transport links across Kazakhstan, we are supporting a corridor that is becoming increasingly important for trade between Europe and Central Asia while delivering tangible benefits locally,” says EIB vice-president Marek Mora, who oversees the bank's operations in Central Asia. “Hard infrastructure is the backbone for trade. This is what sustainable connectivity is about – creating practical connections that support growth, resilience and cooperation."