Phnom Penh (VNA) – The Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia, in coordination with the Vietnam – Cambodia Business Association (VCBA), held a business dialogue on April 22, aimed at updating participants about bilateral cooperation, sharing business experiences, and fostering investment and trade ties between the two neighbouring countries.

The opening session was chaired by Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Nguyen Minh Vu, President of the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce (CCC) Neak Oknha Kith Meng, VCBA Chairman Oknha Leng Rithy, senior Cambodian trade officials, and around 200 representatives of Vietnamese enterprises, Vietnamese-invested firms, and Cambodian businesses across sectors such as health care, tourism, IT, digital transformation, and agriculture.

Delegations from some Vietnamese localities, including Tay Ninh, Gia Lai, Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho and Lam Dong, and business organisations also attended the annual event.

In his opening remarks, Vu highlighted the orientation set by the 14th National Party Congress to elevate foreign affairs, particularly economic diplomacy, as a central task contributing directly to socio-economic development and the achievement of double-digit growth towards becoming a high-income developed country by 2045.

He affirmed Vietnam’s desire to strengthen cooperation with partners, including Cambodia, across areas such as investment, trade, tourism, infrastructure, agriculture, energy, logistics, and the digital economy. During Party General Secretary To Lam’s state visit to Cambodia in February, leaders of both countries reiterated their determination to further connect the two economies, leverage complementarities, and step up trade and investment promotion efforts, striving to raise bilateral trade to 20 billion USD.

The ambassador expressed his hope that the dialogue would help businesses, particularly Vietnamese firms, better understand Cambodia’s investment environment and opportunities, enabling them to shape effective business strategies. He also proposed that the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) coordinate in organising a dedicated dialogue with Vietnamese enterprises in 2026.

At the event, CCC President Kith Meng described connectivity as the “lifeblood” of bilateral economic ties, noting ongoing efforts to enhance infrastructure and logistics connectivity as well as upgrade border facilities to build regional supply chains and boost competitiveness.

He also highlighted Cambodia’s economic reforms under the leadership of Prime Minister Hun Manet, including improvements to the investment climate and workforce development. He underlined his country's openness to Vietnamese firms, calling on them to expand investment in digital transformation, renewable energy, advanced agro-processing, and services and, together, build sustainable partnerships towards shared development and prosperity.

VCBA Chairman Leng Rithy stressed that bilateral economic ties are evolving beyond traditional trade towards deeper cooperation in technology, sustainable agriculture, and green energy. He reaffirmed the association’s role in supporting businesses and facilitating market entry.

Cambodian officials emphasised continued efforts to improve the investment environment through public – private dialogue, the development of special economic zones, and the expansion of logistics infrastructure.

Vietnamese businesses in Cambodia were briefed by local authorities on specific incentive policies covering the construction of agro-processing and lubricant manufacturing plants, the promotion of e-commerce, and land leasing in industrial zones.

The programme also featured four thematic sessions where participants shared policy information, explored investment opportunities, and raised recommendations to authorities of both countries.

Vietnam is currently the fifth-largest investor in Cambodia, with 223 projects worth nearly 3 billion USD, contributing significantly to local socio-economic development, job creation, and social welfare./.