Sudary urges boosted diplomatic and trade bonds with Indonesia

CAMBODIA and Indonesia have pledged to strengthen commerce ties and foster collaboration between their parliaments and peoples.

The commitment came during a meeting between National Assembly (NA) president Khuon Sudary and Indonesian ambassador to Cambodia Santo Darmosumarto at the NA headquarters in Phnom Penh on January 30.

Darmosumarto pledged to actively strengthen relations between the two nations’ NAs throughout his time in Cambodia, working within both bilateral and multilateral frameworks.

“My team and I are committed to fostering collaboration between the two countries, focusing on trade, people-topeople connections and education,” he said.

In response, Sudary said the NA is always prepared to cooperate with the Indonesian embassy, aiming to deepen bilateral relations and cooperation.

“Cambodia and Indonesia hold significant potential to bolster cooperation in diplomacy, trade, education, agriculture and tourism. Notably, fostering people-to-people connections can further solidify shared interests between our countries,” she said.

She noted that Darmosumarto’s diplomatic mission in Cambodia coincided with the celebration of the 65th anniversary of diplomatic ties, aligning with the formation of the seventh legislature and government after a “free and fair election” in July 2023.

Lim Heng, vice-president of the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce (CCC), noted that Indonesia is a significant market and major producer within the ASEAN bloc.

He said Cambodia achieved a milestone in November 2023 by exporting its first batch of milled rice to Indonesia. Fostering robust cooperation, he added, would not only involve governmental entities but also extend to the private sector, leading to a significant increase in the exchange of products between the two countries.

“During a government meeting, officials urged Indonesia to import key Cambodian agricultural products, including milled rice, cassava, cashew nuts and mangoes, showcasing our agricultural potential. The government is also advocating for increased exports of these products to other international markets,” he said.

“We encouraged Indonesian investment in agricultural processing, proposing the establishment of a rice mill, the refining of cassava into medicinal products, and the production of packaging elements for both domestic use and export. There’s also interest in processing mangoes and other fruits,” he added.

According to the Ministry of Commerce, trade between Cambodia and Indonesia in 2023 reached $1.087 billion, marking a 14 per cent increase. The Kingdom’s key imports from Indonesia include tobacco, coal, grain, tractors, medicine, machinery, fabric, refined oil, flowers, electronics and plastic products.