KARACHI: Pakistan and Belgium have agreed to strengthen coordination between their maritime institutions and explore training and exchange programmes for students from 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, according to a statement issued on Wednesday.
The two sides discussed cooperation in maritime education, institutional linkages, port development and the broader potential of the blue economy.Junaid Chaudhry said the Pakistan Marine Academy is being upgraded into a degree-awarding institution, with most of the work on the initiative already completed.
He said Pakistani students can benefit from training and educational opportunities at Belgian maritime institutions. Under a proposed exchange programme, students from both countries will have the opportunity to learn from each other’s experiences and expertise.
The minister said there is considerable potential for cooperation between Pakistan and Belgium in the maritime sector, adding that sharing expertise and institutional experience can 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 is working to increase transshipment activity at Pakistani ports and pursuing several projects aimed at expanding their 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 will also involve refurbishment work, while the garment zone will support the development of an industrial park at Port Qasim Authority (PQA). Junaid Chaudhry further said an energy city is 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 is also working on the development of on-dock and off-dock terminals, he added.The minister said Pakistan also wants to improve regional connectivity through Gwadar Port by linking it with Central Asian countries, which can 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.
