Cambodia Shares Trade and Workforce Vision at Global Partnership Summit in India

VISHAKHAPATNAM, India (Nov. 18, 2025) — Cambodia underscored its commitment to shared growth and regional cooperation at the 30th Partnership Summit 2025, where Secretary of State for the Ministry of Commerce Penn Sovicheat delivered keynote addresses on trade and workforce development.

The summit, held Nov. 14–15 in Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, was organized by India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry in collaboration with the Government of Andhra Pradesh and the Confederation of Indian Industry. The event drew more than 2,500 dignitaries, including ministers and deputy ministers from 77 countries.

Under the theme “Technology, Trust and Trade,” the conference featured 45 sessions on topics ranging from industrialization and innovation to sustainability, climate action and geo-economics. Sovicheat spoke in two sessions, Gateway to Growth: Trade and Investment Imperative and Reskilling and Upskilling for the Requirements of the New World. His remarks highlighted Cambodia’s priorities in expanding trade and investment opportunities while strengthening human resource capacity to meet the demands of a rapidly changing global economy.

He emphasized that building workforce skills and fostering inclusive partnerships are essential to achieving future prosperity and sustainability. Cambodia’s participation, he said, reflects the country’s vision to promote economic growth through cooperation across sectors and nations contributing to Asia’s development.

Cambodia’s presence at the summit also carried significance for its growing economic ties with India. Bilateral trade between the two countries has expanded steadily over the past decade, surpassing $500 million in 2024. Cambodia exports textiles, garments, footwear and agricultural products to India, while importing pharmaceuticals, machinery, vehicles and refined petroleum. The two governments have expressed ambitions to double trade volumes in the coming years, leveraging India’s Duty-Free Tariff Preference Scheme and the ASEAN–India Free Trade Agreement to deepen market access and cooperation.

Officials said Cambodia’s engagement at the summit reinforced its role as a bridge between ASEAN and South Asia, highlighting opportunities for Indian investors in Cambodia’s agro-industry, manufacturing and digital services sectors. Sovicheat’s remarks underscored that Cambodia views trade and workforce development as inseparable pillars of sustainable growth, and that partnerships with India and other regional economies will be critical in shaping Asia’s future prosperity.