On May 27, 2025, the Port of Vukovar was visited by His Excellency Mr. William De Baets, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium, and Military Attaché Mr. Dirk Taffeiren, accompanied by their associates. On behalf of the hosts, they were warmly welcomed by the Director of the Port of Vukovar, Mr. Marijan Kuprešak.
Director Kuprešak expressed his gratitude to the Government of the Kingdom of Belgium for the valuable donations and investments that, as early as 1996, enabled significant reconstruction of the port infrastructure. A year later, in 1997, with the help of Belgian donations, two used cranes with a capacity of 5–6 tons were purchased, followed in 2007 by the acquisition of a 25-ton crane, jointly funded by the Kingdom of Belgium and the Republic of Croatia. This equipment still represents an important part of the operational capacity of the Port of Vukovar.
In his address, the Director emphasized the strategic position of the Port of Vukovar as an international river port on the Danube, with economic ties to all Danube countries. Although there is currently no active cooperation with Belgian companies, the visit served as an incentive for discussions about possible future collaboration.
A special focus was placed on exploring ways to better connect businesses from Vukovar and Belgium that could use the Port of Vukovar for the transport and distribution of goods, thereby strengthening international economic cooperation and creating new business opportunities.
It was also highlighted that due to the war in Ukraine, there has been a significant drop in economic activity—nearly 60% over the past three years—since a large portion of raw materials previously came from Russia. Despite this, the Port of Vukovar continues to play an important role in the supply of raw materials, particularly for companies from Bosnia and Herzegovina, with an emphasis on coal imports.
To help the guests become better acquainted with the port’s capacities, a short promotional film was shown, followed by a tour of the port’s infrastructure and equipment, including the cranes acquired through the aforementioned donations.
After the tour, the guests visited the Vukovar Water Tower, and the conversation continued over a joint lunch.
Representatives of the Vukovar Port Authority also took part in the visit, and the event marked an important step toward strengthening international cooperation and presenting the potential of the Port of Vukovar to foreign partners.
