Cambodia and Myanmar Leaders Agree to Strengthen Economic and Investment Ties

Cambodian Acting Head of State Hun Sen met with President of Myanmar Min Aung Hlaing in Phnom Penh on September 11, agreeing to strengthen economic, trade, and investment relations between the two countries. The meeting was part of the Myanmar President's official visit to Cambodia from September 11 to 12. Both leaders exchanged views on bilateral relations and several regional issues. Acting Head of State Hun Sen considered the presence of the Myanmar President in Cambodia at this time as a significant step in further reinforcing the friendship between Cambodia and Myanmar. Cambodia and Myanmar established official diplomatic relations in 1955 and celebrated their 70th anniversary in 2025 with numerous activities to promote relations and cooperation. President Min Aung Hlaing expressed his admiration for Cambodia's development and progress, particularly the growth of Phnom Penh. He noted that Cambodia's current development is remarkably different compared to his previous visit in 2017. The leaders also agreed that strengthening relations requires participation from both the legislative and executive frameworks to ensure closer and more prosperous cooperation between institutions and peoples of the two countries. Emphasis was placed on enhancing economic, trade, and investment ties. Both leaders expressed a desire to see the trade volume between Cambodia and Myanmar increase beyond the current level, which stood at approximately over 35 million US dollars in 2025. The Myanmar President welcomed Cambodian investors to invest more in Myanmar, while the Cambodian side also aims to promote investment and economic cooperation reciprocally. Furthermore, the Myanmar President expressed support for Prime Minister Hun Sen's initiative to establish a framework for rice-exporting countries, deeming it an important idea. Both parties will continue to discuss and cooperate further on this matter. In addition, both countries highlighted the potential for strengthening cultural, religious, and tourism relations, given their similar historical, cultural, and Buddhist connections. They intend to promote more active people-to-people exchanges to boost tourism and foster closeness between their nations. During this significant meeting, the two sides also exchanged views on several regional issues, including the border issue between Cambodia and Thailand. Source: CEN Cambodia