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Port of Baku has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with two subsidiaries of Belgian Port of Antwerp to provide consultancy and training to help further development at Azerbaijan’s largest port.

The management of Baku International Sea Trade Port signed an MoU with Port of Antwerp International (PAI) and Antwerp Port Training Centre (APEC).

”This agreement is the direct result of a visit to Antwerp in May this year by the Director-General of the port of Baku, Taleh Ziyadov,” said Jan Blomme, CEO of PAI.

Construction of the International Sea Trade Port began in November 2010 and is being carried out in three phases. In the first of these the transshipment volume of the port will be expanded to 10 million tonnes and 50,000 containers per year.

In the second phase the volume will be further increased to 17 million tonnes and 150,000 containers. And by the end of the third phase the levels should stand at 25 million tonnes and 1 million containers annually.

Port of Baku is due to become an important step in the development of the “New Silk Road,” an overland trade route between China and Europe.

The two subsidiaries of Antwerp Port Authority will support the Baku port management with training and will provide assistance with planning the new port and the associated logistics zone.