More than a year after civil riots against the Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh, Thailand

and Cambodian commercial interests are cooperatively launching a Thai trade and culture

exhibition in the city next week.

Ninety-five Thai companies will display products, food, culture and entertainment

at 200 display booths in the National Cultural Centre (formerly the Tonle Bassac

Theatre), March 18-21.

Boonnam Kulrakampusiri, Thai Commerce Ministry official and Prak Nork, Director General

of the Ministry of Commerce, told reporters that the two countries will encourage

bilateral cooperation on imports and exports. Boonnam said the Thai government would

not tax exports over 310 kinds of agriculture production to Thailand. However, he

said that an agreement to eliminate tariffs was not yet ready to implement.

Nork said that the agreement is part of ASEAN economic cooperation strategy and the

bilateral cooperation between Cambodia and Thai aims to increase trade.

"Now we are on the progress to open market between Cambodia and Thai,"

said Nork. "And we are in difficult situation for the exportation to Thailand."

Boonnam and Nork said that trade between the two countries in 2003 totalled about

$690 million in the value of goods exchanged, but the ratio was 90:10 in Thailand's

favor.