Relations between Egypt and the North Adriatic seem will get a significant boost next year, following to a second meeting on 7 and 8 October in Cairo of a delegation from the port of Venice with Egypt’s Minister of Transport Mansour (a first one was held in July).

As anticipated on the occasion of Italian minister Luca Zaia in Egypt (see GM related news), the port of Venice has announced that they could launch a regular line with the port of Alexandria (pictured). It will concern both passengers and cargo, being specifically a RO-RO service for fruit and vegetables shipments.

A leading shipping company is carrying out the feasibility study of a regular shipping line between the two ports for the transportation of 170 truck and 300 passengers per trip from Italy to Egypt and back.

Egyptian Transport Minister Mansour has also decided to involve the Port of Venice in the construction of the new fruit terminal as well as in the management of the new passenger terminal at Alexandria port, with the aim to reach 500,000 passengers from the current 150,000.

Mansour has also said that "in the coming weeks a joint technical committee will be established gathering representatives of representatives of both Alexandria and Venice ports to support and facilitate export procedures and increase the volume of trade between the two countries.”

On its side, Venice Port Authority confirmed that the new refrigerated terminal in the Marghera port area will be ready by the summer of 2010. It will be a logistics center of about 13,000m sq reserved for fruit and vegetables. The first part will be operational by June 2010 and will be able to receive 2000 pallets per load, equivalent to over 2000 containers per year.

Further investments in refrigerated warehouse in Marghera have already been planned for the coming years with the aim of expanding the market shares. Such investments are part of the overall plan of 500 million that the Port Authority has approved.