The newly-appointed Czech ambassador to Cambodia has pledged to make an effort to increase the trade volume between Cambodia and Czech, as the current trade volume between the two countries is not balanced. 

Current exports from Cambodia to the Czech Republic exceed imports by almost one hundred times. 

The pledge was made during a May 20 meeting at the Senate between Senate president Hun Sen and Czech ambassador Martin Vavra.

During the meeting, Hun Sen encouraged both sides to increase trade, while balancing the volume of goods moving between them.

Vavra expressed his commitment to working to balance an increase in imports from the Kingdom by bringing new investors from Czech to Cambodia. He also suggested that he will push for more development assistance from the Czech Republic.

“Vavra is committed to pushing more volume of trade between the two countries, as currently there is no balance between us. Export volumes from Cambodia to Czech almost exceed 100 times the imports from Czech to Cambodia,” said the Senate president.

Vavra said he would make efforts to facilitate a visit by a Czech parliamentary delegation by the end of 2024.

Hun Sen thanked the Czech Republic for cancelling its debt and turning the remaining debt into development aid.

He noted that the Czech side continues to provide assistance in the areas of health, education and human resource development, especially in the field of education. They have provided a series of scholarships which support Cambodian students to study in Czech. 

Hun Sen added that the Cambodian Senate was ready to work with Vavra to further deepen bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

In 2019, Hun Sen, then prime minister, visited the Czech Republic, with the two sides pledging to continue cooperation in development assistance in the fields of education and health.