Sok Siphana, Senior Minister in charge of Special Missions and Chairman of the Trade Policy Advisory Board (TPAB), on Monday-Tuesday held a series of meetings with key international institutions during his official mission to Geneva, Switzerland, as the High Representative of Prime Minister Hun Manet to the 60th Anniversary of UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
Sok Siphana led a Cambodian delegation to meet with senior officials of international organizations such as the World Economic Forum (WEF), the World Tade Organization (WTO), the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), International Trade Centre (ITC) and the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) Secretariat to advance Cambodia’s multilateral trade and economic affairs as well as address regional and global challenges.
On Monday, Siphana engaged in discussions with representatives of the WEF on global, regional economic landscapes as well as on potential areas of collaboration, in particular in trade development, between Cambodia and the WEF.
On the same day, he met with the WTO Director-General, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. Their conversation centered on reinforcing Cambodian multilateral economic and trade partnerships, as well as preparations for the country’s upcoming graduation from the Least Developed Country (LDC) to Developing Country status.
Subsequently,Siphana discussed with UNCTAD Secretary-General, Rebeca Grynspan. The talks focused on economic integration within regions like ASEAN, Latin America, and Europe, along with trade and development policies for Cambodia. Secretary-General Grynspan expressed confidence in UNCTAD’s ability to contribute positively to Cambodia’s LDC graduation plan.
On the following day, Siphana met with ITC Deputy Executive Director, Dorothy Tembo, to explore potential cooperation and strategic partnerships between ITC and Cambodia in the areas of trade-related capacity building, innovative trade policies, and sustainable growth.
Later, he met with EIF Executive Director, Ratnakar Adhikari, and highlighted the longstanding relationship between Cambodia and EIF, emphasizing EIF’s support for Cambodia’s WTO accession in the past and trade diversification.
As Cambodia commemorates the 20th anniversary of its WTO accession and has become one of its most active members, both parties expressed optimism about new potential areas of collaboration with EIF in future initiatives.
These meetings underscored Cambodia’s commitment to proactive engagement in international trade and economic development, positioning the Kingdom for continued growth and prosperity.
