EU supports the enhancement of the operational capabilities of the Port of Baku

The team working on the project ‘EU Support to the Enhancement of Operational Capabilities of Port of Baku & Free Trade Zone at Alat’ has completed its work in Azerbaijan. It was successfully carried out by Ecorys Nederland B.V. in consortium with Haskoning DHV Nederland B.V. from 16th January 2018 until 15th April 2020.

The project has assisted ‘Baku International Sea Trade Port’ CJSC in contributing to the sustainable growth and diversification of Azerbaijan’s economy by providing support to the development of a world class port and logistics hub in the heart of Eurasia.

Reallocation of entire operations of the Port of Baku to the new port facilities at Alat required leading expertise in a number of areas associated with operational and management activities; ICT systems; HR management and commercial aspects related to international cross-border trade and public awareness.

A team of international and national experts in close cooperation with the team of the Port of Baku developed inter alia a strategic plan for the Port of Baku, as well as the Green Port Concept, the successful implementation of which brought about the EcoPorts and ISO 14001:2015 certification of the port, to name a few activities. Other activities included the elaboration on strengthening of maritime safety and security in the port; improvement of financial procedures; fostering the personnel management through preparation of training strategies and execution of training activities; and the updating and modernisation of the port’s website (www.portofbaku.com).

The project was executed in a very open and cordial atmosphere, with excellent collaboration between the Port of Baku and the project team, without any problems encountered. In his statement Dr. Taleh Ziyadov, Director General of the Port of Baku, mentioned: ‘Deepening the cooperation between Port of Baku and EU in such fields as enhancement of the human capital and development of operations skills was extremely useful for Port of Baku in terms of institutional growth. The project implemented by Ecorys Nederland and Royal Haskoning, was marked by successful synergy of professional teams and will have positive impact for sustainable development of the Port of Baku.

Head of the EU Delegation, Ambassador Mr. Kestutis Jankauskas described cooperation as follows: ‘International trade and connectivity are very important for the European Union. We highly value Azerbaijan’s role and contribution in this regard.

Thanks to the EU support from the very beginning and particularly our joint work during the last two years, Baku International Sea Trade Port had benefitted from the experience of the leading European ports in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, Bulgaria, Italy and Slovenia. As a result of the dedicated work, Port Baku is becoming a modern leader in the region both in term of environmental sustainability, international standards and advanced management.

I hope that multiple users of Port Baku, today and for many years to come, will appreciate and enjoy its facilities and services built for the future as a result of EU-Azerbaijan partnership.