"This figure puts us among the top port operators in the Mediterranean region. We expect even better results next year, due to new business connections with the Far East," said Luka Koper CEO Dragomir Matić on Monday.

Luka Koper placed itself on the map of ports for car transshipments in 1990, when it launched cooperation with South Korean car maker Hyundai.

In subsequent years, the transportation route through Koper became increasingly used by other Korean and Japanese manufacturers. This eventually attracted business with the Volkswagen group and other European car makers.

The port operator recently joined forces with Germany's Mercedes-Ben and established a new cargo liner service, with the goal of raising its number of car shipments to the Far East. Luka Koper is currently collaborating with about 30 European and Asian car makers.

The port operator set two other milestones this year by shipping 700,000 cargo containers in the year to December and transshipping more than 20 million tonnes of goods in mid-December.