The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route is one of the branches of the Belt & Road Initiative. Its importance is growing for political reasons: the war in Ukraine and the pressure from the US, including on EU allies, to limit Chinese business activity in Europe. If trade links between China and the EU are nevertheless maintained, a TITR with a fulcrum in Azerbaijan could absorb much of the now bottleneck traffic on the northern section of the BRI. Bulgaria will be able to take advantage of this through its infrastructure assets if the EU clarifies its strategy on the BRI and revives the TRACECA programme.