PHNOM PENH: Prime Minister Hun Sen has urged the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh, A.K. Abdul Momen, to encourage investors from Bangladesh to invest in the agricultural sector in Cambodia to help trade between the two countries.

During the meeting between the Prime Minister and the Bangladeshi Minister of Foreign Affairs at the Peace Palace on Friday morning, 15 July, Minister A.K. Abdul Momen informed Prime Minister Hun Sen that the Government of Bangladesh intends to expand cooperation in all fields with Cambodia, especially in the trade sector, in order to maintain food security amidst global rising food prices.

In response, Prime Minister Hun Sen replied that in order to boost trade between the two countries, the Bangladeshi government should encourage Bangladeshi investors to come to Cambodia, visit the rice mills and buy rice directly from farmers for storage and import. He also raised the idea of Bangladesh's participation in arranging to help Cambodian farmers through contract farming.

The Bangladeshi Foreign Minister led a delegation to visit Cambodia from 14-16 July to further enhance the existing good relations and cooperation between the two countries, for the mutual benefit of the people of Cambodia and Bangladesh.

Trade volume between Cambodia and Bangladesh in 2020 reached about US $20 million, in which more than US $9 million was in export trade from Cambodia to Bangladesh, mostly in fabrics and rubber.

^{PHOTO: KOK KY}