Slovenian transport infrastructure should be taken in consideration of economic relations with the country and the transit of goods South East. The port of Koper is a good example, particularly in connection with transport of goods to the Near, Middle and Far East. It is our nearest port in the direction.

The Koper port management, in co-operation with the port in Bratislava, plan on developing a collection centre for combined transport for trucks and containers, and separate goods in Central Europe. The project is a part of the scheme to connect the ports of Koper and Stetin (and possibly Rotterdam) through the combined transport via Bratislava. That will have positive impact on the role of Slovak businesses.

30 years ago most goods to the Near, Middle and Far East from Czechoslovakia and vice versa went through the former Yugoslavia. Along with the good destination ideology played a role - the idea was to avoid the imperialist countries. Rijeka sea port was fully saturated. The access to another port of Ploce near the Albanian border was more expensive because of railway transport through the whole of Yugoslavia. Koper at that time was only able to serve small ships.

Good location and free space -the decisive factors

The prospective development of Koper has been determined by the location (the shortest distance to Central Europe) and available space able to expand within specialisation already demanded by global trends on manipulation with shipped goods. The port is not surrounded by a city as is the case of many sea ports elsewhere. It doesn't have to use additional space for storing in the interior many miles away, what would reduce the operability and make manipulation with transit goods more difficult.

The development of Koper began within the former Yugoslavia through specialisation in container transport (requiring substantial space for manipulation and container storing) and transfer of loose goods (iron ore, coal). Currently within Slovenia, the development has acquired further dynamics. Not only it expands its space and manipulation area (its size being 1,000 hectares), but it dynamically modernises technological equipment, complex data processing and connection to the shipping companies.

The modern port has a terminal for container manipulation and storing at 25 hectares, three RO-RO ramps for transfer of cars with surrounding area at further 25 hectares, general terminal for manipulation and storing of separate goods, fruit, textile, paper, and iron products with annual capacity 800 thousand tons. There are silos for loos goods, storing boilers for liquid chemicals and mineral oils and crude oil. Separate terminal serves manipulation and storing of wood and cut wood with annual capacity 600 thousand cubic metres. In 1997 the port processed 7,244 thousand tons of goods.

A 30 thousand ton silo at a specialised shore is for aluminium oxide for Ziar nad Hronom (Slovak aluminium processing plant). That is further transported to Slvoakia in specialised wagons (180 thousand tons annually). In line with the intensified production in the aluminium plant, the annual volume is expected increase by further 40 thousand tons of aluminium oxide by the year 2000.

There is also a free goods zone . It is instrumental for trading companies operating on the port's territory. Moreover, the activities of the port along with the shipment, manipulation and storing specialise in valuation of goods. User cars Daewoo are imported from Korea via Koper to Poland and Slovakia. The cars aimed for Poland are disassembled in Koper, transported by railroad to Poland and re-assembled. The operation saves some 40% customs cost for the importer.

High technological level of the port, advanced logistics, electronic data processing, specialised shores for manipulation with goods, services for further valuation f goods, and particularly the perspective of the port's development earned the port one of the first European ISO 9000 quality certificates.

Distance of sea ports from Bratislava (km)

Slovak Trade FORUM