Pakistan, Belgium seek closer maritime institutional ties

Pakistan and Belgium have agreed to strengthen coordination between their maritime institutions and explore opportunities for training and exchange programmes for students of the two countries.

The understanding was reached during a meeting between Belgian Ambassador Idesbald Van der Gracht and Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry at the ministry.

The two sides discussed cooperation in maritime education, institutional linkages, port development and the broader potential of the blue economy.

Chaudhry said the Pakistan Marine Academy was being upgraded to a degree-awarding institution and that most of the work on the initiative had been completed.

He said Pakistani students could benefit from training and educational opportunities at Belgian maritime institutions. Under a proposed exchange programme, students from both countries would have opportunities to learn from each other’s experiences and expertise.

The minister said there was considerable potential for cooperation between Pakistan and Belgium in the marine sector, adding that sharing expertise and institutional experience could help both countries develop their blue economies.

The discussion also focused on Pakistan’s plans to expand and modernise its port infrastructure. Junaid Chaudhry said the government was working to increase transhipment activity at Pakistani ports and was pursuing a number of projects aimed at expanding the port’s commercial and industrial capacity.

These projects included a multipurpose terminal, an automobile zone and a garment zone at Port Qasim, he said. The automobile zone would also involve refurbishment work, while the garment zone would support the development of an industrial park at PQA.

Chaudhry further said an energy city was planned to provide storage facilities for oil-producing countries, including for white oil, crude oil and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

At Karachi Port Trust (KPT), the government was also working on the development of on-dock and off-dock terminals, he added.

The minister said Pakistan also wanted to improve regional connectivity through Gwadar Port by linking it with Central Asian countries, which could create new opportunities for trade and transit.

He emphasised that Pakistan’s expanding maritime infrastructure, coupled with its geographical position, offered opportunities for international cooperation in shipping, logistics, port services, maritime education and other areas of the blue economy.

The Belgian ambassador and the minister expressed a desire to further strengthen institutional contacts and identify practical areas of cooperation between the maritime sectors of the two countries.