Prime Minister Hun Manet (left) meets with his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau during a working meeting in Vientiane, Laos, on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit and related meetings on October 10. STPM
Canada is planning to open an embassy in Phnom Penh in the near future, a move that analysts believe highlights the growing diplomatic relationship between the two countries, while reflecting Cambodia's ongoing efforts to diversify its foreign diplomacy.
The plan to establish diplomatic representation in Cambodia was confirmed by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a working meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet in Vientiane, Laos, on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit and related meetings on October 10.
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“Trudeau informed me that to strengthen diplomatic relations, Canada plans to open an embassy in Phnom Penh in the near future,” said Manet, via social media.
He added that Trudeau emphasised the need to strengthen bilateral relations and cooperation between the two countries. In support of this, Canada will send a trade delegation to Cambodia to discuss promoting and enhancing bilateral trade.
The Canadian leader also expressed optimism about trade relations between Canada and ASEAN, especially through the ASEAN-Canada Free Trade Agreement, which is expected to be approved soon.
Manet also informed Trudeau that Cambodia plans to open its own embassy in Canada.
He expressed gratitude to Canada for its contributions to Cambodia’s peace efforts, including sending peacekeeping forces in the 1990s, supporting mine clearance and providing various development assistance to the Kingdom.
Canada is Cambodia's seventh-largest bilateral trading partner, and contributes to Cambodia's socio-economic development through job creation and vocational skills development for Cambodian youth, according to Manet.
According to data from Cambodia’s General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE), from January to September 2024, bilateral trade between Cambodia and Canada totaled $895.98 million, an increase of 28.2% compared to the same period in 2023. Cambodian exports to Canada amounted to $848.68 million of the total exchange, an increase of 30.8%, while Canadian imports to Cambodia totalled $47.3 million, a decrease of 5.6%.
Cambodian exports to Canada mainly consist of garments, bags, footwear, electronic components, electrical appliances and bicycles. In contrast, imports from Canada are primarily electronic products.
To further boost trade and investment cooperation, the private sector in Cambodia, represented by the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce (CCC), recently opened a representative office in Toronto, Canada. The establishment of the new office aims to strengthen and expand the promotion of Cambodian products and provide information which will attract Canadian investors to invest directly in Cambodia.
Kin Phea, director of the International Relations Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, believed that the opening of the Canadian embassy in Phnom Penh is encouraging news, and reflects the positive development and progress of relations between the two countries.
“In addition, the opening of the embassy aligns with the government's efforts to diversify its diplomacy with all countries, both within the region and globally. This highlights that Cambodia is not focused solely on any single country. Cambodia seeks to maintain deep relations with all nations, through its multi-coloured diplomacy strategy,” he added.
