The ceremony was attended by Jacques Saadé, founder and CEO of CMA CGM Group, Laurent Fabius, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Development, Alain Vidalies, Secretary of State to Transport, the Sea and Fishing, Nabil de Freije, Minister for Lebanon State Reform, representing the Lebanese Prime Minister, Edouard Philippe, deputy-mayor of Le Havre city, Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol, president of the Haute-Normandie Regional Council and Pascal Martin, president of the Departmental Council of Seine-Maritime. The event took place in the presence of the Chairpersons and CEO of HAROPA ports (Le Havre –Rouen –Paris).
François Hollande paid tribute to the “success for Le Havre, a port in full expansion, 5th biggest north-European port and number 1 French port for foreign trade which gains market shares and has been steadily growing since 2011”. The French President also reminded the success of a whole area and of the HAROPA system: “Greater Paris is connected to the sea by Le Havre and that is how we can equip our country with this maritime dimension”. He also mentioned that “we want to get a major route between Paris and Le Havre through transport infrastructure and investments in port structures”. Reminding that France has the second largest maritime land in the world owing to its overseas possessions, François Hollande concluded “it is a great day for France capable of having a high shipping ambition, always conquering; France can go round the world like Bougainville but can also be the first one in the world”.
Jacques Saadé reminded the importance of the port of Le Havre for the CMA CGM group “as the biggest container terminal in France: half our French calls are made at Le Havre of which we are the largest trading customer”.
The CMA CGM Bougainville is the world biggest container vessel under French flag. She is 400 metres long, i.e. four football fields end to end, and 54 metres broad. She can carry up to 18,000 containers, i.e. a chain of lined-up containers corresponding to three times the circumference of the Paris ring road.
The CMA CGM Bougainville will call every 88 days at the port of Le Havre. It is positioned from Le Havre on the FAL1 (French Asia Line), the flagship service of the company connecting up the Asia and North Europe markets.