Cambodia is seeking more trade with the US, as well as other means for bilateral partnerships, the Phnom Penh’s new ambassador to the US says.
In an interview with VOA Khmer, Ambassador Chum Bunrong said his main priority in coming years will be to open more cooperation in tourism, trade and investment.
Cambodia has “mineral resources, fertile land” and other benefits for US investors, he said. It also has tourist attractions like “Angkor Wat, hundreds of temples, bird colonies on the Tonle Sap and a clean environment,” he said.
Trade between the two countries is around $3 billion a year, with $2.8 billion in exports from Cambodia to the US in 2014. “The US is a main investor, and if the US goes to invest in Cambodia, others will also go,” Chum Bunrong said.
Mom Rady, a Cambodian-American and state House representative from Massachusetts, agreed. “I have been working hard to ensure there is more interaction between the two countries,” he said. “I’m personally very happy if we see our young people become more knowledgeable than me.”
Watch VOA Khmer's exclusive interview in Khmer with Ambassador Chum Bunrong:
