TEHRAN: Iran’s first cargo ship exporting petrochemical products to Europe after six years of stagnation berthed at Belgian port of Antwerp late on Sunday.
A vessel of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL), the Azargoun, which can carry 2,500 standard shipping containers, arrived in at its first European stop Hamburg last week and left the German port for Antwerp after disembarking its Iranian goods and loaded the cargo to be exported to Iran.
Upon its arrival at the Belgian port of Antwerp, the ship was welcomed by the local authorities including Kris Adams, the General Manager of DP World Antwerp Holdings. The captain and the crew were also bestowed gifts to mark the reopening of shipping routes between Iran and European ports after 6 years.
The same welcoming ceremony was held at the port of Hamburg in mid-March when the Iranian vessel berthed at its 1st stop. Currently the ship is being loaded and upon completion of the operation the Azargoun will leave the port for the Persian Gulf.
