31 million tonnes of all freight traffic per year is with the UK. This makes it the port’s largest customer. Of the 3.5 million cars that pass through here, the United Kingdom accounts for around 550,000. But a good relationship between the two countries is important in even more areas.
“There is a very important collaboration in the field of energy, we have the interconnector Bacton gas pipeline here, so that is being discussed. Energy is also electricity exchange, that is one aspect. A side aspect, those are the transmigrants,” says Patrick Van Cauwenberghe of Port of Antwerp-Bruges.
“I think the biggest global challenge, locally for the port here and for all UK operations with the port, is that the traffic remains stable and that the port adapts to energy supplies,” says British Ambassador Anne Scheriff. “The ships here have been adapted so that they are less polluting. That is very important.”
Especially in these turbulent geopolitical times, the motto is: together we are stronger. And the brand new ambassador is already planning to visit again. Sherrif has been ambassador for at least the next four years.