Shipping Arabia, October 12, 2026 – Lebanon’s Port of Beirut and Port of Tripoli have signed the joint declaration launching the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) Ports Club in New Delhi, India. The initiative aims to strengthen international port cooperation and support trade and logistics connectivity between India, the Middle East, the Mediterranean and Europe.
The declaration was signed by Marwan Naffi, Chairman and Director General of the Port of Beirut, and Iskandar Bandali, Chairman of the Port of Tripoli. Their participation forms part of broader efforts to expand cooperation among ports associated with the economic corridor and encourage their involvement in developing trade and logistics connections.
The IMEC Ports Club seeks to bring together ports and economic partners to explore opportunities for cooperation, improve connectivity and support the development of the corridor.
IMEC Ports Club to Strengthen Port Cooperation
The joint declaration establishes the IMEC Ports Club as an open platform for dialogue and collaboration among participating ports. Its central objective is to bring ports and their surrounding economic and logistics ecosystems closer together through practical cooperation and knowledge exchange.
Rather than creating a new institutional structure, the initiative provides a framework for participating ports to share expertise, identify common priorities and develop collaborative projects.
The declaration also encourages practical initiatives and pilot projects that can be expanded across participating ports and logistics networks. This approach aims to translate cooperation into activities that support the broader development of the economic corridor.
Focus on Connectivity, Trade Facilitation and Digitalization
The IMEC Ports Club identifies several priority areas for cooperation, reflecting the operational and logistical requirements of stronger trade connectivity.
These include improving transport and supply chain connections, facilitating trade and related procedures, and advancing cooperation on energy and decarbonization.
Digitalization and data interoperability are also central to the initiative. The declaration identifies these areas as opportunities for closer coordination between ports and their logistics ecosystems.
Through cooperation in these fields, the IMEC Ports Club aims to contribute to a more seamless, reliable, resilient and sustainable trade corridor.
The initiative also seeks to create additional opportunities for trade, investment and logistics services across India, the Middle East, the Mediterranean and Europe.
For the ports of Beirut and Tripoli, signing the declaration establishes their participation in this collaborative platform, which focuses on strengthening relationships among ports and supporting the development of practical initiatives across the regions connected by IMEC.
Source: Port of Beirut
