Cambodia has stepped up efforts to attract new investment from Australia, with Deputy Prime Minister and First Vice-Chairman of the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC), Sun Chanthol, leading the first leg of the Cambodia Investment Roadshow in Sydney.
The mission, launched on Monday, aims to showcase Cambodia’s growing investment potential and strengthen bilateral economic ties. Senior officials from key ministries, members of the Cambodian Oknha Association, and both Cambodian and Australian ambassadors joined the high-level delegation.
The day opened with a breakfast meeting between Sun Chanthol and Morgan Hart, Managing Director of Renaissance Minerals (Cambodia) Ltd. The Deputy Prime Minister outlined the Royal Government’s development vision, including the target of transforming Cambodia into a high-income nation by 2050. Hart welcomed the update, praising Cambodia’s reforms to create a more competitive investment climate, and expressed interest in exploring expansion opportunities.
Chanthol also met with Robert Seidler, a board member of CIMIC Group, one of Australia’s leading infrastructure firms. Discussions focused on the company’s activities in Cambodia and future prospects for investment. Seidler commended Cambodia’s workforce, training programmes and business-friendly environment, describing these as vital ingredients for sustainable growth.
A further meeting was held with John Hopkins, CEO of the Australian Government’s Export Finance Agency (EFA). Hopkins explained EFA’s role in financing international projects, particularly where private banks cannot provide sufficient capital. He confirmed EFA’s willingness to support Australian companies investing in Cambodia, with a particular focus on sustainable infrastructure.
In another session, the Deputy Prime Minister met Paul Serra, CEO of SunRice Group, Australia’s leading rice exporter and the first Australian company to import Cambodian rice into Australia and New Zealand. Serra signalled the company’s interest in visiting Cambodia to assess the possibility of establishing a factory and introducing Japonica rice seeds and technology.
Chanthol welcomed the proposal, highlighting Cambodia’s improving investment environment and progress in infrastructure development under the leadership of Prime Minister Hun Manet.
SunRice, founded in 1950, is one of the world’s largest rice and food processors, with operations spanning multiple continents.
Later that afternoon, Chanthol held talks with Ari Droga, Managing Partner of BlackRock Investment Management (Global Infrastructure Partners). The Deputy Prime Minister underscored Cambodia’s advantages for investors, including peace and stability, macroeconomic resilience, a young and adaptable workforce, preferential investment laws and a strategic geographical location with growing transport and logistics infrastructure. Droga outlined BlackRock’s global portfolio, including landmark investments in Sydney Airport, Melbourne Port and major transport projects in the United Kingdom and beyond.
On Tuesday morning, Chanthol continued his outreach with a breakfast discussion with Glenn Keys AO, Founder and CEO of Aspen Medical. The talks, attended by both Cambodian and Australian ambassadors, focused on potential collaboration in the health sector.
Keys presented the company’s experience delivering healthcare projects in Australia, Indonesia, Fiji, the US and the UK. Chanthol welcomed Aspen Medical’s plans to study investment opportunities in Cambodia, noting the Royal Government’s focus on strengthening healthcare capacity and opening the sector to strategic private partnerships.
Throughout the engagements, Sun Chanthol emphasised Cambodia’s determination to continually improve the investment climate. He pointed to ongoing reforms and sectoral strategies designed to attract investors in mining, agriculture, renewable energy, healthcare and infrastructure.
The Deputy Prime Minister reiterated the government’s position that the private sector is a crucial partner in driving national development.
The CDC noted that the Sydney mission is part of a broader strategy to diversify Cambodia’s economic partnerships and ensure sustainable, long-term growth. With Australia seeking deeper links with Southeast Asia, both countries stand to benefit from enhanced cooperation in trade, finance and development.
As Cambodia pursues its ambition of becoming an upper-middle-income country by 2030 and a high-income economy by 2050, the government regards high-quality investment as a priority.
The Sydney roadshow marks a significant step forward in that strategy, reinforcing Cambodia’s bid to position itself as a competitive and reliable destination for global investors.
