Brussels, Feb 6 (IANS): A delegation of the port authorities of Antwerp in Belgium, the second largest port in Europe, will visit India Feb 9-13 to attract Indian investments.

India generated a record five million tonnes of cargo in Antwerp in 2014, Antwerp port said in a statement.

“The port of Antwerp has long been convinced of the economic growth potential of India,” it said.

“Already in 2006, the Port authority appointed its first full-time representative in the port city of Mumbai (in India). The western Indian cities of Mumbai, Pune and Nasik together form the 'Golden Triangle' of India which, with industries such as IT services, car-making, manufacturing and biotech, is one of the country’s most important economic regions. Mumbai is one of the top 10 commercial cities in the world,” it said.

Antwerp port will be holding an investment seminar in Mumbai Feb 12, after holding one in Pune Feb 10.

At this seminar, the port authority together with representatives from Flanders Investment & Trade and the Belgian ministry of finance will present the advantages of the port of Antwerp as an excellent investment location.

The annual Port of Antwerp Reception will be held in Mumbai Feb 12 at which Antwerp port companies will have the opportunity to network with their Indian counterparts.

The highpoints of the programme will the presentation of a Belgian honour to Shashi Kiran Shetty, head of the logistics multinational Allround Logistics, and the signing of an agreement between APEC -- the port of Antwerp’s international training centre -- and India's Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT).

With the Antwerp Port Community System, which offers a network of solutions for electronic communication within the supply chain, the port stated that its is able to offer a unique tool for this.

At the end of 2014, the port of Antwerp, in collaboration with Association of Multimodal Transport Operators of India (AMTOI), launched the India Nation platform to facilitate contacts and exchange of information between Antwerp and Indian forwarders, shippers and logistics companies, thus streamlining the flow of goods through the port of Antwerp.

With an annual freight volume of 199 million tonnes, the port of Antwerp is the second largest in Europe. Its central location in the heart of Europe makes it possible to serve a huge consumer market very quickly, an essential advantage for exporting countries that target the European consumers, the statement said.