The visit of Rodolphe Saadé to Slovenia’s port of Koper on the Adriatic, alongside Slovenian prime minister Robert Golob and French president Emmanuel Macron on Monday has been heralded as part of a broader effort to reinforce the Franco-Slovenian strategic partnership and to advance the development of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).

CMA CGM is forming a joint venture with the port to take on 27,000 sq m of land to develop an automotive logistics site. 

Present in Slovenia for more than 20 years, CMA CGM operates two direct weekly maritime services: the Phoenician Express connecting Asia to the Mediterranean, and the Bora Med service within the Mediterranean basin.

Koper has grown its annual throughput a great deal in recent years, positioning itself as a gateway into Central Europe with Tailwind, the liner operated by German supermarket chain Lidl, using the port as one its key hubs.