Safe port for Serbian export - turnover with "Constantza" increased by about 37%

Port of Constantza

During the first eight months of 2009, total turnover of goods between the port of Constantza and Serbian ports exceeded 1.5m tons, while the volume of exchange in 2008 amounted to over 942,000 tons. The increase in turnover by about 37% is the proof that the biggest port in the Black Sea is becoming more and more significant to our country.

The Administrative Management of the port of Constantza intends to develop and back cooperation with Serbia, and the first important step was founding of the company's branch office in Belgrade. Vladan Mišić, the representative of the port of Constantza in Belgrade, speaks for "eKapija" about potentials and advantages of that port in the Black Sea.

Vladan Mišić

- The record turnover of 62m tons of goods was achieved last year, but that represents only half of the operational capacity of the port, which amounts to 120m tons a year. Favorable geographic position and significance of Constantza Port lies in its connection with two Pan-European corridors: Corridor VII – the Danube, and land Corridor IV. Constantza is the biggest port in the Black Sea, and the vicinity of Russian market and the countries of former Soviet Union represents the advantage in transportation of goods through our port. It is widely known that the Danube is the most significant transportation route between Serbia and the Black Sea since that distance amounts to approximately 1,250 km. At the moment, there is one line for container transportation of goods between Constantza and Belgrade – said Vladan Mišić.

He says that Constantza Port should be Serbia's natural choice because the capacity of direct river connection through the Danube is, practically, unlimited. Namely, few thousand tons of various freights can be transported by a single group of barges at one travel, while, in case of road or rail transportation, that would require engagement of few hundred trucks or railway cars.

That means, according to Mišić, that transportation of goods by river is much cheaper than transportation of goods by road or railway.

- The port of Constantza is run by state-owned company "Maritime Ports Administration" (Port's Administrative Management). The state also owns coast and coastal area at about 4,000 ha. Business buildings, warehouses, infrastructure, barges, machines, etc., are all in the possession of the port's operators, that is, private sector. Serbian company "East point", is one of the operators that owns silos for cereals and soybean, with total capacity of 100,000 tons, in this port.

Mišić also announced for "eKapija" that another Serbian company would soon start doing business in Constantza Port, and that would be maritime-river agency "Agent Plus".

Another advantage of Constantza Port, as he explained, is the depth of water in the port's aquatorium, which is sufficiently large for the mooring of even the largest ships that sail through the Suez Canal.

This port is, also, a significant center for distribution of containers since it is well-connected with railway, road, river and air routes, as well as pipelines, Ro-Ro terminals and ferryboat that ensures connection with the ports in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.

Speaking of the investments related to Constantza Port, Vladan Mišić points out that the crisis has not stopped their realization, but only slowed it down.

Namely, the most significant investment projects concern the improvement of conditions for operators and companies that operate in the port, which is necessary because of constant growth of traffic and the needs that emerged after Romania was admitted to European Union.

It is being worked on development of railway capacities in the river-maritime zone of Constantza Port, which should ensure optimal and united service for current and future port's operators.

European community should finance construction of the bridge across the Danube-Black Sea canal. This project was created thanks to the possibility of connection to Bucharest-Constantza highway through the bypass that would connect the highway with the port. The bridge would enable establishment of better connection between the south zone of Constantza Port and national road network.

Day of Constantza Port in Belgrade

(Ioan Balan, the Director General of Administrative Management of Port of Constantza)

The "Day of Constantza Port" event had its premiere in Belgrade in 2007, and the delegation of Romania and the representatives of that company presented the achieved results and short-term and long-term plans for development of that port to the businessmen from Serbia and the countries of former Yugoslavia in September 2009.

In addition to Vladan Mišić, the speakers at this year's meeting were Ioan Balan, the Director General of the Administrative Management of Constantza Port, Marin Anton, the State Secretary in the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure of Romania, Ioan Constantin, the Charge d'Affairs of Romanian Embassy to Belgrade, and Siniša Bubnjevic, a member of the City Council of Novi Sad. One day before this event, Pavle Galić, the Assistant to the Minister of Infrastructure, who is in charge of water transportation, spoke to the managers of Constantza Port.

In addition to the operators from Constantza Port, this year's "Day of Constantza Port" event also gathered the representatives of the two largest maritime-river agencies in Serbia - "Agent Plus" and "Jugoagent", as well as the biggest Serbian exporter of cereals, which also uses Constantza Port – "MK Commerce".

- All aforementioned facts give a solid base for further development of cooperation between Serbian economy and Constantza Port - Vladan Mišić concluded.