An international seaport was inaugurated on Tuesday in Cam Ranh, Khanh Hoa, a province on the south-central coast of Vietnam.

An opening ceremony was held by the navy unit based in Cam Ranh, with State President Truong Tan Sang present alongside several high-ranking military leaders.

Cam Ranh International Port is strategically located to cover the entire East Vietnam Sea, and is the closest port to international shipping lanes, the two archipelagoes of Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly), and petroleum reserves on Vietnam’s southeast continental shelf, said Senior Colonel Uong Xuan Phuc Son, general director of TCP Cam Ranh Ltd., the investor of the project.

Son said the port lies in the gulf of Binh Ba which has favorable natural conditions for a seaport, and can accommodate military and civilian ships like aircraft carriers of up to 110,000 DWT (deadweight tonnage) or cruise ships weighing up to 100,000 GRT (gross tonnage). In addition, the port can perform repair and construction work on a variety of marine vessels.

The project was approved by the Ministry of Defense in September 2014, with a view to providing maritime services for international military and civilian ships at Cam Ranh Military Base, strengthening ties with other nations’ naval forces to improve Vietnam’s position in the region and globally, and safeguarding peace and order in the East Vietnam Sea.

During 2016, the Cam Ranh international port will focus mainly on three sectors: maritime services, repair and maintenance services, and travel services.

Speaking at the ceremony, State President Sang underlined the vision to make Cam Ranh International Port the equal of other large international ports across the globe and become a model for future ports.

“We must promote the Cam Ranh international port to the world to attract major shipping brands to come to Cam Ranh for maintenance, repair, and refueling, including fresh water and food,” the president said.

Upon final completion, Cam Ranh will be among the biggest ports in Vietnam in terms of wharf length, able to accommodate 18 ships at a time and welcome up to 185 ships per year.

It will also be the first port in Vietnam designed to allow anchorage in storms of up to force eight.