TEHRAN- More than 207 million tons of commodities were loaded and unloaded in the ports of country during the past Iranian calendar year 1401 (ended on March 20), the head of Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) announced in a message on the occasion of the New Year.

In addition to the unloading and loading of more than 207 million tons of goods in the ports of the country, the major development and infrastructure projects defined for the year 1401 were implemented affecting the national economy and the livelihood of the coastal people, Ali-Akbar Safaei stated.

In this regard, launching and implementing 120 large investment projects in the coasts and ports of the country with the participation of private and non-governmental sectors were realized, the official said, and mentioned some the most important measures taken by the PMO in 1401 as inauguration of the second part of the third phase of  Shahid Rajaiee container port development project with the ability to berth giant container ships with up to 18,400 TEUs capacity, the start of building  ro-ro and multi-purpose ships to operate in the Caspian Sea, the significant increase in the number of the country's naval fleet, the training of seafarers, the construction of the new and multi-purpose Khamir port and the reconstruction of Arvand-Kenar port, facilitating logistics activities and creating an economic advantage for private sector investment in Imam Khomeini port, developing and equipping the infrastructure of Chabahar port, facilitating and improving the safety of sea travel, the 70-percent growth of transit from the Caspian Sea, providing food security and distribution of basic goods, and positive and effective presence in the international sphere and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) .

The head of the Ports and Maritime Organization further emphasized that this organization will seriously follow up the strategies and executive policies of port and maritime developing, equipping and providing infrastructure in the current year as well.

Last year, the Ports and Maritime Organization followed up important executive strategies and policies with three functional components of developing, equipping and providing port and marine infrastructure, and "Increasing the capacity of ports and marine fleet, especially in the Caspian Sea", "Completing the semi-finished projects as soon as possible", "Using the power of Iranian knowledge-based companies to improve technical equipment, marine and port services", "Supporting private sector, especially investors", "Implementing the sea-oriented development strategy in the country", "Playing an effective role in activating regional and international corridors", "Strengthening relations with neighboring countries and paying serious attention to facilitating trade with these countries in the north and south of the country",  and "Quantitative and qualitative attention to seafarers and human resources" were among the most important priorities of this organization in 1401, Safaei announced.

The private sector active in the field of sea transportation managed to keep the country's foreign trade routes active for traders, as well as owners of domestic and foreign goods, and play a fundamental role in increasing the transit via the country through innovation, the PMO head further stated.

MA