Cambodian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sok Chenda Sophea and and Obaid Saeed Obaid Bintaresh Ald-haheri, UAE ambassador to Cambodia shake hands during a meeting on May 13 in Phnom Penh. MFAIC
Cambodia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have vowed to expedite the implementation of a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA), which will expand markets for goods and services, increase investment and create jobs in both nations.
The commitment was made during a May 13 meeting between Cambodian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sok Chenda Sophea and Obaid Saeed Obaid Bintaresh Ald-haheri, UAE ambassador to Cambodia, who is resident in Bangkok, Thailand.
The ministry said both sides concurred on the “importance” of the Cambodia-UAE agreement to deepen bilateral cooperation.
“The two sides also discussed ways to speed up the implementation of the agreement signed in June 2023, underlining that it would expand markets for goods and services, increase investments, create jobs, deepen cooperation in various sectors and enrich mutual benefits,” it said, in a May 15 press release.
Both sides expressed their satisfaction with the friendship and robust cooperation between the two nations since the 1994 establishment of diplomatic relations.
They reiterated their commitment to further enhancing bilateral ties and extending mutual support in international forums, for the shared interests of both nations.
The two sides also exchanged views on enhancing trade, investment and tourism cooperation.
During a May 13 meeting with Prime Minister Hun Manet, Ald-haheri said that during his diplomatic mission in Cambodia, he would work to further strengthen and expand cooperation in various fields, including trade, investment, infrastructure, transportation, agriculture, energy and tourism, said a social media post by the prime minister.
During the meeting, Manet described investment in infrastructure, clean energy, tourism, agriculture and technology as his government’s priorities, noting that this will help Cambodia to achieve growth, employment, equity, efficiency and sustainability, bolstering resilient, inclusive development.
“Regarding clean energy, Cambodia has achieved 62 per cent of total energy consumption and set the goal of promoting the use of clean energy to 70 per cent by 2030, along with an end to the use of coal-fired power plants,” he said.
The prime minister also stressed the importance of tourism, noting that his government has launched a package of measures aimed at promoting tourism. Through good cooperation between Cambodia and the UAE, he believed that the number of international visitors to the Kingdom will increase.
Manet encouraged Ald-haheri to continue to cooperate with Cambodia’s government institutions, especially in the fields of trade, investment and tourism.
