The management and investment administration of the Port of Beirut held the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the expansion of the container terminal today, under the patronage and in the presence of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. At the beginning, the Chairman of the Board of Directors and General Manager of the Port of Beirut, Marwan Al-Nufei, spoke, pointing out that for 139 years, this port has stood as a witness to the region's transformations, the shifting of trade routes, and crises and wars that could not end its role. He pointed out that the port's journey did not end on August 4, saying: "Today we are laying the foundation stone for the third and largest phase in the history of the container terminal, a project that will increase the terminal's area from 45 to more than 75 hectares and its handling capacity from 1.3 million to 3 million containers by the year 2028." For his part, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam considered that "the expansion of the container terminal expresses a clear national will: the will to revive this port, restore its role, and renew confidence in Beirut and Lebanon." He said: "Today we are not only opening an additional expansion, but we are opening a new window for Lebanon to the world, and taking a practical step in a long path aimed at restoring the Port of Beirut to its natural position as one of the most prominent ports in the eastern Mediterranean and one of the most important tributaries of the Lebanese economy." He added: "The expansion of the container terminal that we are celebrating today acquires special importance because it increases the port's handling capacity, improves container handling speed, reduces vessel waiting times, and increases service efficiency, thereby enhancing the port's ability to compete and attract shipping lines and transit trade. However, competition among eastern Mediterranean ports no longer relies on geographical location alone, no matter how distinctive that location may be. Geography grants us an opportunity, but it does not guarantee us success. Success today is forged by sound management, swift transaction processing, procedural transparency, the adoption of modern technology, and the availability of infrastructure and transport networks connecting the port to its surroundings. Therefore, we should not view the expansion of the container terminal as an isolated construction project, but rather as part of an integrated vision for the future of the Port of Beirut. We want a modern port whose operations are managed according to the highest professional and international standards, based on clear governance that defines responsibilities, prevents conflicts of jurisdiction, and curbs waste." Salam continued: "We want a digital port where transactions are completed swiftly and efficiently, reducing costs, curbing corruption and arbitrariness, and providing an atmosphere of confidence for both importers and exporters. And we want a secure port where safety, security, storage, and monitoring rules are strictly applied, based on rigorous standards and under the supervision of the competent state authorities." He asked: "Is it permissible to forget that this place bears a deep national wound?", pointing out that on August 4, 2020, not only did a part of the Port of Beirut explode, but the entire city was affected, victims and wounded fell, homes and institutions were destroyed, and the Lebanese people's sense of security was shaken. 1 The Prime Minister said: "As we work to develop the port, we cannot separate the required expansion from achieving justice, nor modernization of facilities from the duty of accountability. The memory of the victims will remain a national and moral trust, and respecting it dictates that we manage our port well, so that the tragedies of negligence, chaos, and irresponsibility are not repeated in it." He added: "Our ambition is for the port to restore its role in transit and re-export traffic, and to become once again an advanced logistical center in the eastern Mediterranean, serving Lebanon and neighboring Arab countries, and benefiting from the reshaping of supply chains and the development of regional trade. However, restoring this role requires more than expanding docks and terminals. It requires developing the land roads leading to the port, addressing congestion at its entrances, and working seriously to develop a railway and tunnel network, and establishing dry ports connecting the Port of Beirut to the interior of Lebanon and its surroundings. Therefore, we have begun preparing a study on connecting the port to the Beqaa via a tunnel and a railway line." Salam considered that planning must be improved to achieve integration between the Port of Beirut and other Lebanese ports, particularly the ports of Tripoli, Jounieh, and Sidon, within an integrated national maritime transport policy. He considered that "the process of developing the Port of Beirut is inseparable from the project of rebuilding the state. A public facility does not succeed if it remains captive to ambiguity in management, exceptions in implementation, or interference in operations." He said: "The confidence of shipping companies, investors, and exporters is not restored by promises and slogans, but by stable rules, an independent judiciary, efficient administration, and by providing proof that Lebanon is capable of managing its public facilities with efficiency and responsibility, including through public-private partnerships." He added: "We want this project to provide new job opportunities and open a wide horizon for Lebanese youth in the fields of maritime transport, logistics, technology, and supply chain management. The future of the port is not built by modern cranes or new spaces alone, but also by developing Lebanese expertise and investing in training and education." He continued: "Our vision for the Port of Beirut is the same as our vision for the Lebanon we want: Lebanon as a modern and effective state, Lebanon as a state of law and institutions, Lebanon as openness and production combined, Lebanon that restores the confidence of its people and the confidence of the world." For his part, Minister of Public Works and Transport Fayez Rasamny said: "Today we are not only laying the foundation stone for the expansion of a container terminal, but we are laying a new stone in a larger project, which is enhancing the position of the Port of Beirut as a strategic port in the eastern Mediterranean." He added: "What we are actually working to expand is Lebanon's role in the transport and trade process in the region and the world." Rasamny continued: "We are building an integrated transport system and we want to turn Lebanon's location on the Mediterranean Sea into actual economic value, and today's project translates part of this vision on the ground." There was a speech by the Chairman and CEO of the CMA CGM Group, Rodolphe Saadé, in which he said: "The foundation stone we are laying today is much more than just a stone for terminal expansion; it is a symbol of a terminal moving forward and of Lebanon regaining its ambition."