TEHRAN: Iran’s Shahid Rajaee Port Authority, which controls Bandar Abbas port, and Belgium’s Antwerp Port Authority have signed a memorandum of understanding to further develop trade between the two regions. The collaboration will involve exchanging information on statistics and port development projects, as well as cooperating in the field of training, among others.
Bandar Abbas port accounts for 90% of the in and outgoing containers of Iran and for nearly half of the 200m tonnes of freight handled by 11 Iranian ports put together. The memorandum of understanding, signed on Monday, will run for a period of five years, after which it can be renewed.
Eddy Bruyninckx, ceo of Antwerp Port Authority, said: “We are restoring our trading relations with Iran, a country with great economic growth potential that is also a gateway to neighbouring countries.”
Until 2010 Antwerp was the most important European destination port for Iranian cargo, before sanctions were applied. Then in March this year the Iranian shipping company IRISL returned to Antwerp with the first container ship since sanctions were lifted. Antwerp Port Authority is anticipating a rise in traffic for containers, breakbulk and bulk freight over the next few months.
