Thai ambassador to Cambodia Cherdkiat Atthakor and Pailin provincial governor Ban Sreymom on January 9 met to discuss improving relations and ways to increase the volume of trade.
Ambassador Cherdkiat Atthakor said the meeting also touched on plans to enhance collaboration in several other priority areas.
“I promised to make efforts to foster and increase cooperation between the two countries – especially the border provinces – in my capacity as ambassador,” he said.
Sreymom appreciated the Thai embassy for its “excellent” cooperation with Cambodia, saying the good bilateral relations have helped maintain security and order in the border regions, and served the interests of the peoples of both countries in an equal manner.
“There are many mechanisms in place which strengthen cooperation between us, from the General Border Committee [GBC] to the Joint Border Commission (JBC). Regular meetings between the governors of border provinces also help to resolve border issues between the two Kingdoms,” she said.
In a recent report, the Cambodian embassy in Thailand said trade volumes between the two countries were over $9 billion in the first 11 months of 2022 – a 26 per cent increase over the previous year.
Cambodia’s exports to Thailand were over $1 billion, a 27 per cent increase, while Thai exports stood at over $8 billion – a nearly 26 per cent increase.
Cambodia exported several commodities including textiles, gemstones, raw materials and semi-finished goods, while importing energy, fish, meat, vegetables and finished products like vehicles, organic fertiliser, cosmetics and construction materials from Thailand.
The two governments have said that increased trade – especially in agriculture – would help add momentum to the growing cross-border segment of their respective economies.
