PHNOM PENH: The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn, has requested the Italian Ambassador to Cambodia, Lorenzo Galanti, to reconsider the high tariffs on Cambodia's rice imports.

Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, met with the Italian Ambassador to Cambodia, Lorenzo Galanti, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday morning. During the meeting, the Cambodian Foreign Minister spoke about the excellent bilateral cooperation that has been demonstrated through trade and the presence of well-known Italian food brands and restaurants in Cambodia, emphasizing that despite the Covid-19 crisis, bilateral trade volume between Cambodia and Italy has stabilized and continued to grow. He further encouraged both sides to find more effective ways to boost trade volume.

Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn also thanked Italy for its assistance to the ASEAN Regional Center for Mine Action (ARMAC), and in response, the Ambassador Lorenzo Galanti reaffirmed Italy's continued support and assistance to the ARMAC.

Trade between Cambodia and Italy rebounded to about 400 million euros last year, an increase of 12%. Ambassador Lorenzo has said that Italian companies in Cambodia have also invested in areas such as agriculture, industry and energy, which will continue to contribute to Cambodia's long-term economic growth.