Eurocham Cambodia and its partners are hosting the two-day ASEAN-Cambodia Business Summit next week, aiming to explore the opportunities and challenges of further economic integration in Cambodia, while pushing the nation to become a middle-income country by 2030.

The summit will bring together leaders from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam to explore the economies of the Mekong Region and promote economic integration within the region and the rest of the world.

It will be hosted on September 28 and 29 in GIA Tower and Hyatt Residence Phnom Penh.

During a press conference on Monday, Martin Brisson, EuroCham Cambodia’s executive director, said that the summit marks the completion of months of work to foster regional integration and trade, and enable a favorable business environment for the growth of Cambodia’s economy.

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“We are looking forward to inviting many anticipated speakers to Cambodia to discuss these issues at the highest level, one month after the newly formed Cambodian government takes office,” he said. “We are very hopeful that this summit will be a landmark.”

Besides exploring the opportunities and challenges of trade and investment in Cambodia, EuroCham Cambodia will also release its 2023 White Book and sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with AHK.

Journalists attend Eurocham Cambodia press conference, October 25, 2023, Phnom Penh. Kiripost via EuroCham

2023 White Book

During the summit on September 28, EuroCham Cambodia will release its 2023 White Book, aimed at providing information to the public regarding Cambodia’s investment goals and strategy and EU updates on trade and investment policy with Cambodia.

Matthew Pocock, EuroCham Services Department Coordinator, said that it is a practical book providing an official view of the European business environment in Cambodia.

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“It’s a long book. We’ve mentioned 78 recommendations and the recommendations are the key uniqueness of this book. Each recommendation is based on the practical issue faced by businesses in Cambodia,” he said. “It aims to provide a practical solution to the issues or challenges happening in the country.”

He added that it will be a long-term tool for policymakers, researchers, and the general public to raise discussion and dialogue. In addition, they will be able to follow up on Cambodia’s business environment.

He said that the book comprises 13 chapters. Each chapter represents a different economic sector, including green business, government, digital, and advocacy work.

In addition, EuroCham Cambodia will also release its 2023 Business Confidence Survey, a detailed survey that allows business leaders in Cambodia to candidly describe the climate for doing business in the country.

Matthew Pocock said that this is a regular survey that EuroCham carries out with its members to gain an understanding of the current business centermen compared with the previous year.

“It’s a useful tool to understand how the business achieves and operates in Cambodia, and how they perceive the future. For example, whether they will invest more or how they see the current challenges and opportunities in Cambodia,” he said. “Also, it provides ongoing regular and piece of analysis.”

MoU between EuroCham Cambodia and AHK

On September 29, EuroCham Cambodia and AHK Vietnam will also sign a MoU at the ASEAN-Cambodia Business Summit.

It aims to share best practices and knowledge to attract more investment and trade opportunities between Germany and Cambodia. Additionally, the MoU also includes supporting investment in Cambodia from German companies in Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar.

Aside from trade and investment, the MoU seeks to foster cooperation in assisting the sustainable development of Cambodia, upskilling the Cambodian workforce, and providing business development services to companies.

Brisson said that AHK has had a strong presence in Vietnam for close to a decade, and together AHK and EuroCham can create stronger business ties between German companies and Cambodia, as the Kingdom's economy continues to diversify and grow.

“We cannot act alone in ASEAN and it's important that we collaborate with our neighbors to help us achieve our shared goals,” he said. “This mutually beneficial MoU will allow us to learn about the intricacies of the Vietnamese market and hopefully attract business across the border to Cambodia.”

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