Vietnamese Embassy, VCBA co-host Business Dialogue 2026 in Cambodia
WVR - On April 22, the Vietnamese Embassy collaborated with the Vietnam-Cambodia Business Association (VCBA) to organize the Business Dialogue 2026 under the chairmanship of the Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia, Nguyen Minh Vu.
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| The Vietnamese Embassy collaborated with the Vietnam-Cambodia Business Association to organize the Business Dialogue 2026. (Source: Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia) |
The main speakers at this year's Dialogue included Mr. Chea Vuthy, Secretary General of the Investment Committee, Cambodia Development Council; Neak Okha Kith Meng, Chairman of the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce; Mr. Ho Sivyong, Government Envoy, Director General of the Department of Trade Support Services, Ministry of Commerce of Cambodia, and Oknha Leng Rithy, Chairman of VCBA, along with over 200 delegates from Vietnamese businesses, Vietnamese-origin businesses investing and operating in the Cambodian market, and Cambodian businesses across various sectors.
Additionally, the 2026 Dialogue featured Vietnamese businesses from the provinces of Tay Ninh, Gia Lai, Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho City, Lam Dong Province, and the Association of Vietnamese Entrepreneurs Abroad (BAOOV)…
In his opening remarks, Ambassador Nguyen Minh Vu emphasized the direction of the 14th Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam, which aims to elevate foreign affairs, with economic diplomacy as a core task contributing directly to socio-economic development. The goal is to achieve double-digit economic growth so that by 2045, Vietnam becomes a developed country with a high middle-income level. He affirmed Vietnam's desire to continue promoting and connecting in areas such as economy, investment, trade, tourism, infrastructure, agriculture, energy, logistics, and the digital economy with other countries, including Cambodia.
The Ambassador also noted that during the state visit of General Secretary To Lam and the high-level Vietnamese delegation to Cambodia in February 2026, leaders of both countries reaffirmed their commitment to further integrate the two economies by leveraging complementary strengths and enhancing investment, trade, and tourism promotion activities, aiming to soon increase bilateral trade turnover to 20 billion USD.
Bilateral trade between the two countries reached a record 11.3 billion USD in 2025, an increase of 11.7% compared to the same period in 2024. In the first three months of 2026, it reached 3.44 billion USD, an increase of 4.3 billion USD compared to the same period in 2026. Vietnam is currently Cambodia's third-largest trading partner, following China and the United States.
Through this Dialogue, the Ambassador expressed hope that businesses, especially Vietnamese businesses, would gain a clearer understanding of the investment and business environment and opportunities in the region. This understanding would help them formulate effective business policies and strategies in Cambodia. He affirmed that the recommendations and proposals of businesses would be listened to and compiled by the Embassy and VCBA for discussion with relevant Cambodian and Vietnamese authorities to create a favorable investment environment for businesses.
On this occasion, the Ambassador also suggested that the Cambodia Development Council support the organization of a dialogue between the Council and the Vietnamese business community in Cambodia in 2026.
At the opening session, Neak Oknha Kith Meng, Chairman of the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce, and Cambodian delegates congratulated Mr. To Lam and Mr. Le Minh Hung on being elected as President and Prime Minister by the 16th National Assembly. They considered this Dialogue an important forum to concretize strategic directions set by the leaders of the two countries during General Secretary To Lam's official visit to Cambodia on February 6, focusing on new economic mechanisms.
Mr. Neak Oknha Kith Meng stated that the Bilateral Trade Promotion Agreement 2025-2026 is a driving force contributing to the continuous increase in trade turnover between the two countries in 2025 and 2026. He emphasized that connectivity is the lifeline in the economic relationship between the two countries. Therefore, he expressed joy at the official opening of the Meun Chey-Tan Nam international border gate in 2025 and the ongoing efforts to identify the connection point for the Phnom Penh-Bavet-Ho Chi Minh-Moc Bai expressway; promoting the upgrade of the Chrey Thum-Khanh Binh border gate to an international border gate and fully implementing waterway transport agreements.
Under the direction of Prime Minister Hun Manet, Cambodia is undergoing extensive structural reforms, encouraging Vietnamese businesses to expand investments in areas such as digital transformation, renewable energy, advanced agricultural processing, and services. Strategic alignment between the two nations is their greatest asset amidst an unpredictable global situation.
According to Mr. Chea Vuthy, Secretary General of the Investment Committee, Cambodia Development Council, the Cambodian government currently prioritizes maintaining and expanding investment activities by continuing to promote public-private dialogue mechanisms and expanding the scale of state-private dialogue to address the concerns and obstacles of businesses.
Additionally, the Cambodian government has been promoting the development of special economic zones, focusing on building logistics and multimodal transport infrastructure.
Mr. Ho Sivyong, Government Envoy from the Ministry of Commerce of Cambodia, also emphasized that with its strategic location at the heart of ASEAN and the ability to deeply integrate into the regional value chain through the Southern Economic Corridor of the Greater Mekong Subregion, Cambodia has been expanding its export market through the GSP preferential tariff system and numerous signed free trade agreements (FTAs).
During the exchange session, Vietnamese businesses in Cambodia received specific information from Cambodian leaders regarding Cambodia's preferential policies for building agricultural processing plants, lubricant factories, as well as policies promoting e-commerce and land leasing in industrial zones.
Following the opening session, the Business Dialogue 2026 organized four discussion sessions. Delegates shared information on policies, sought investment and business opportunities in healthcare, information technology and digital transformation, agriculture, and discussed business practices and proposed recommendations to the governments of both countries.
The Business Dialogue is an annual activity aimed at promoting economic cooperation between the two countries. Vietnam is currently the fifth-largest investor in Cambodia, with a total investment capital of nearly 3 billion USD (223 projects).
The investment and business activities of Vietnamese enterprises have significantly contributed to Cambodia's economic development, helping to create jobs for workers, contributing to the Cambodian state budget, and effectively implementing social welfare work in localities. Notable Vietnamese enterprises include Metfone, BIDC, Angkor Milk, ThacoAgri, and the Vietnam Rubber Industry Group…
Some images from the event:
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(Source: Embassy of Vietnam in Cambodia)
