Belgium offers expertise to Indian ports to improve waterways

The Dollar Business Bureau

Belgium’s Antwerp Port Authority has said that it can offer its expertise to Indian ports to improve their internal waterways.

“In India, the ports are not well-connected to the hinterland by inland waterways. In this area, we can offer consultancy services to Indian ports," said Luc Arnouts, Chief Commercial Officer of Antwerp Port Authority, while addressing a press conference on Wednesday in Visakhapatnam.

The Ambassador of Belgium to India, Jan Luykx, was also present at the event.

“In the area of improving inland waterways, Antwerp Port Authority has gained huge expertise. Antwerp port receives over 30 percent of the cargoes through such type of waterways, where the cost of logistics is cheap,” he added.

Arnouts said that a delegation, headed by Ambassador of Belgium to India, took a visit to the Visakhapatnam Port Trust and its facilities and they were quite impressed with the port’s facilities.

In future, Visakhapatnam Port Trust and Antwerp Port would collaborate to forge close relations, he added.

Ambassador Luykx said that the ties between Belgium and India were excellent, and Belgium was the first country to recognise India after it got independence.

He further said that his country wanted to enhance trade relations with India, specifically with the States situated on the east coast.