Sonowal meets Saudi, Belgian and Bhutanese delegations at Sagarmanthan as VOC Port signs green shipping pact with Port of Antwerp

8 October 2026

On Day 2 of Sagarmanthan: The Great Oceans Dialogue 2026, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal held bilateral meetings.
With the Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) he discussed Saudi participation in port projects such as Vadhavan and Galathea Bay; Saudi Arabia expressed interest in investing in India's port projects and the Maritime Development Fund.
With Flemish Minister Annick De Ridder of Belgium he proposed a green shipping corridor linking Indian ports with Antwerp-Bruges; VOC Port signed an agreement with the Port of Antwerp on green shipping and training.
With Bhutan's Lyonpo Chandra Bahadur Gurung he discussed National Waterway-2 and the Jogighopa terminal as Bhutan's gateway to global trade.
Indian seafarers rose from 1.27 lakh to 3.23 lakh in twelve years, making India the world's second-largest seafarer supplier.