Cambodia and Japan to boost bilateral ties

Cambodia and Japan to boost bilateral ties

Foreign Affairs Ministry undersecretary of state Chea Kimtha and Japanese director-general for Southeast Asian Affairs Hiroshi Ishikawa held a meeting yesterday to bolster cooperation between the two countries.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Koy Kuong yesterday said the meeting touched on several topics, including increasing trade volume as well as cooperation in strengthening tourism and education in the Kingdom.

“We expect a rise in trade volume and cooperation between the two countries this year, as had been observed over the last few years,” he said.

In 2013, Cambodia and Japan inked a strategic partnership agreement to boost the countries’ trade investment and security. Since then, Mr Kuong said trade volume in the Kingdom increased to more than $2 billion last year while investment from Japan increased to $2.5 billion from 2014 to 2018.

“Furthermore, we noticed an increase in tourism as more than 200,000 Japanese visitors enter the Kingdom yearly,” he added.

Kin Phea, director-general of the International Relations Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said yesterday the Kingdom has reaped great benefits from the partnership.

“Japan is a good partner as they never interfere in the Kingdom’s internal affairs and they have a soft spot for Cambodia on any issue,” he said, adding the partnership with Japan will instill the Kingdom’s goal to be a multilateral country in the region.

Source: Khmer Times