Port of Amsterdam, Gujarat Strengthen Cooperation
Port of Amsterdam signed a Letter of Intent (Lol) with Gujarat Ports Infrastructure & Development Co. Ltd, a subsidiary of Gujarat Maritime Board. The intention is to enhance trade between Gujarat and Amsterdam and intensify existing cooperation.
The signing of LoI by AK Rakesh, Chairman of Gujarat Ports Infrastructure & Development Company Limited and CEO and Vice-Chairman of Gujarat Maritime Board and Anthony Van Der Hoest, Commercial Director-Logistics, Port of Amsterdam took place in Ahmedabad (Gujarat, India) during the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit. Attending the summit was part of a trade mission of several Dutch companies.
Port of Amsterdam will increase cooperation in the development of ports in Gujarat state. The cooperation entails actively sharing knowledge and experience in the field of port management and port development in the future.
Anthony Van Der Hoest said that the Memorandum of Understanding marks another significant milestone in the history of relations of the Port of Amsterdam and India. The Port of Amsterdam has had a presence in India in cooperation with its partners Samsara Group for over 3 years.
The vast number of opportunities in India has made Amsterdam select India as one of its top focus countries.
Port of Amsterdam sees great opportunities in India. Since three years the company has been focusing on the Indian market. The objective is to position the port of Amsterdam and acquisition cargo flows and (temporary) establishments.
"We are, therefore, delighted that now we can further intensify our efforts with GPIDCL and Gujarat Maritime Board. We believe that the combined knowledge of Gujarat Maritime Board and Port of Amsterdam will bring even more success in the future for both our maritime clusters," Anthony said.
GPIDCL is a subsidiary of Gujarat Maritime Board and is presently engaged in the business of setting up a maritime university and maritime cluster in Gujarat. GMB, the promoter company of GPIDCL, is engaged in the business of managing, controlling and administering 41 non-major ports in Gujarat, in order to enhance and harness ports and international trade as vehicles for economic development in the region.
Indian ports in fact have many similarities with the port of Amsterdam. The vessels they use, for instance, can also pass the lock in Amsterdam’s port. The principal cargo flows are exports of mixed cargo and the export of container cargoes of various products. Key import products for India are scrap and paper. India is and will continue to be important for the port of Amsterdam, particularly in view of the growth of exports predicted for the years ahead.
