PHNOM PENH: Prime Minister Hun Sen has requested that Malaysia increase its imports of Cambodian rice and agricultural products. To this end, he has called for the establishment of a collection and processing facility in Sihanoukville to export directly to Penang, Malaysia. The request was made during a joint conference at the Peace Palace on the afternoon of 27 March 2023 with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. The two countries also agreed to continue to promote the memorandum of understanding (MoU) they signed in 2018, meant to develop and commercialize the bamboo market.

Prime Minister Hun Sen proposed Cambodia’s import of Malaysian goods to meet mutual need. He also invited Malaysian investors and businessmen to increase investment and business in Cambodia. Additionally, the Prime Minister asked for support on the construction of underwater power lines passing through Malaysian territory for green energy projects between Cambodia and Singapore.

In regards to tourism, Prime Minister Hun Sen requested the effective implementation of the MoU on tourism cooperation discussed in 2019. He especially wants to focus on the development of Muslim tourism through training Malay language tour guides and increasing the use of technology.

In response to the request to import rice from Cambodia, Prime Minister Anwar said that he would encourage Malaysian companies to consider importing rice and cashews from Cambodia.

Prime Minister Hun Sen affirmed that the two countries will continue to build and grow their partnership. Bilateral trade between Cambodia and Malaysia reached US$ 620 million in 2022, a 24 percent increase compared to US$ 500 million in 2021.