Russia Cambodia FTA feasibility study on the cards

Cambodia and Russia are planning a joint feasibility study on a potential free trade agreement (FTA) aiming to reinforce trade and investment ties between the two countries and offset lacklustre import/export figures exacerbated by Covid-19.

Ministry of Commerce secretary of state Sok Sopheak said this on December 1 when he led a ministerial delegation to meet newly-minted Russian ambassador to Cambodia Anatoly Borovik via video link.

Sopheak pointed out achievements of the Kingdom’s FTA strategy, including signing an agreement with China on October 12 and completing the fourth round of talks with South Korea on another.

These, coupled with the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement inked on November 25 and existing agreements within the ASEAN Plus One framework, have provided the Kingdom access to a wide range of markets, he said.

ASEAN Plus One refers to ASEAN’s respective cooperation mechanism with Hong Kong and mainland China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

In this spirit, he said, Cambodia expresses its intent to conduct a feasibility study on a bilateral FTA with Russia as soon as possible.

The Kingdom is also in FTA talks with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), a common market comprised of five nations of the former Soviet Union – Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia.

The EAEU represents a combined population of 183 million and a gross domestic product (GDP) of $5 trillion, according to the Washington, DC-based International Monetary Fund (IMF).

In December, minister Pan Sorasak pointed out that an FTA with the EAEU would provide a welcome impetus for industrial diversification and expansion of financial services, transport, digital economy and agricultural services.

https://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/russia-fta-feasibility-study-cards

Tagged with: