East Timor - Following an international invitation to tender, the authorities of East Timor, advised by the finance institution IFC1, have chosen the Bolloré Group to build and operate the deepwater port at Dili under a public-private partnership agreement. The ambitious project involves the construction of a 630 m wharf with a draught of 15 m, and a 24-hectare yard. The port facility, in accordance with international standards, will have state-of-the-art container and general cargo handling equipment offering a stevedoring capability for container ships carrying over 7,500 TEUs. “We are very proud to have been selected to work with the authorities of East Timor on this project. It will help to speed up the growth of the nation’s economy by facilitating trade with Asia and the rest of the world to the benefit of the whole population”, said Philippe Labonne, CEO of Bolloré Ports and Deputy CEO of Bolloré Transport & Logistics. The partnership will be entered into for a 30-year term. The project will create over 350 direct jobs and enable new businesses to set up in the future port zone. Bolloré Transport & Logistics, a major player in the port sector. With a strong track record of success in France and Africa, Bolloré Transport & Logistics has decided to export its know-how to other emerging regions. It already holds an Asian port concession at Tuticorin at the southern tip of India, in Central America & the Caribbean with a partnership to operate the TVB Terminal at Port-au- Prince in Haïti, and now in South-East Asia in East Timor. Ports are a key sector for the Bolloré Group with 21 concessions worldwide, including 15 in Africa, where it is the n° 1 operator of public-private partnerships. Cyrille Bolloré, President of Bolloré Transport & Logistics, stated that he is “extremely pleased with this success which is in keeping with our strategy to deploy our different areas of expertise across all the markets where we are present. Our knowledge of the logistics market in East Timor, where our Group has been developing its business for the last 16 years, enabled us to submit the best bid. It also demonstrates the ability of the Bolloré Group to contribute to enhancing infrastructure in emerging countries.”