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Latakia port received on Thursday six modern gantry cranes under the contract signed with the French company "CMA CGM", a Syrian official told AFP, in a step that comes as part of modernizing the country's dilapidated infrastructure.
Syria signed in early May a thirty-year contract with the French shipping company to develop and operate the port of Latakia, which is considered the most important port in the country and a main gateway for maritime trade.
Mazen Alloush, Director of Relations and International Cooperation at the General Authority for Syrian Ports and Customs, said, "Latakia port received today six modern fifth-generation rubber-tired gantry cranes," in a step he said "embodies the fruits of the strategic partnership with the international CMA CGM group."
He explained that the batch, "whose total value exceeds 16 million euros," comes "to crown the efforts aimed at bringing about a qualitative leap in the handling machinery fleet, and raising the operational efficiency of the Latakia International Container Terminal, in response to the-rising growth in maritime navigation and trade traffic."
The container terminal in Latakia port has been witnessing growing activity in recent months. According to Alloush, the operation of the new cranes will "expand operational capabilities to ensure full readiness in dealing with vessel traffic, and absorb the expected flows in the volume of commercial activity for the next phase."
Since the overthrow of ousted President Bashar al-Assad's rule in late 2024, the transitional authorities have been working to sign contracts and memoranda of understanding with major regional and international companies in several sectors to develop and operate the country's main facilities, including the port of Latakia, with the aim of keeping pace with the increasing growth in maritime shipping and trade exchange.
The agreement signed between Damascus and the "CMA CGM" company, which is the third-largest shipping company in the world, includes the management and redevelopment of the international container terminal in the port.
The contract stipulated, as announced by Damascus at the time, the investment of 230 million euros, with 30 million euros to be injected in the first year, and over the following four years, a new quay to be built in the port worth up to 200 million euros.
Following a bilateral meeting held in Damascus last August, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and the CEO of the French company, Rodolphe Saadé, agreed to accelerate the launch of the second phase of the port expansion project, according to a statement released by the company at the time.
The French company had been operating the container terminal in Latakia port during Assad's rule since 2009 based on a contract that was renewed more than once, before signing the new contract following the overthrow of the previous regime.
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