July 12, 2023
Call to set up Austrade office in Cambodia
Manoj Mathew / Khmer Times

The Australian Government was recently urged by the Cambodian Chamber of Commerce (CCC) to set up an office of the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) in Cambodia to further strengthen the bilateral economic ties.

The proposal was put forward by Kith Meng, President of CCC, during a meeting between Cambodian business leaders and Australia’s Special Envoy for Southeast Asia Nicholas Moore at the Australian Ambassador’s residence in Phnom Penh on Monday.

The meeting, organised by the Australian Embassy in Cambodia in connection with the visit of Moore, was attended by senior Australian officials, members of CCC, representatives of the International Chamber of Commerce, business associations and representatives of more than 80 Cambodian private companies.

The visit of the Special Envoy was aimed to strengthen ties with the Cambodian private sector and to promote trade and investment between Cambodia and Australia.

Speaking on the occasion, Meng warmly welcomed Moore and highlighted the excellent relations between Cambodia and Australia as both countries have had diplomatic ties since 1952.

Australia’s leading role in Cambodia’s peace process in the late 1980s and early 1990s was vital in building the strong foundation for the current stable situation within Cambodia, he said.

On a personal note, Meng added that Australia provided refugee support during the 1980s and he was a beneficiary of it.

“Most recently, the Australian Government and its people have provided around $58 million to Cambodia under the Cambodia-Australia Partnership for Resilient Economic Development (CAP-RED) programme which will further contribute to the development of Cambodia,” he noted.

The President of CCC underscored that trade and investment between Cambodia and Australia continue to grow and benefit from the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement and also the 15-member Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement, in which both Cambodia and Australia are participants.
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