Tokyo-Japan (FN), August 8 - Cambodia needs Japanese investment to support  its transformation into a lower middle-income country by 2030, according to Prime Minister Hun Sen.

The statement was made on Tuesday afternoon during his visit to Japan.

“I do not give up my efforts to attract Japanese investors to Cambodia over the last 20 years,” said the premier.

Prime Minister recalled the peace process in Cambodia and his efforts to develop the country from ground to becoming a developing country with economic growth and recognition from other countries in the world.

"I have led the country  from a war-torn country by using lives  as a capital to end war and reunite the country. We started to build economy with difficulty, and we had a lot of hope for our partners," he added.

The premier highly values peace and political stability now because it brings happiness to the people and attracts many investors to Cambodia.

He reminded Japanese investors that after ending a war, the Japanese government had designated Japanese tourists to only visit Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Today, tourists can travel everywhere in Cambodia.

“Cambodia's export was worth of only $4 million in 1994; today trade reached $12 billion, and it will continue to grow,” he added.

The premier appealed to Japanese investors to learn about the potential and investment opportunities in Cambodia and to decide on investing.

The Prime Minister pledged to safeguard the investment climate for Japanese investors, especially the preservation of peace and political stability.

"I pledge to ensure safety environment for investors, especially in the maintenance of peace, security, and political stability, as well as macroeconomic stability, legal frameworks and processes of effective ministries, institutions and transparency,” stated the premier.

He also encouraged Japanese investors to invest in a special economic zone in Sihanoukville province.

Cambodia and Japan signed the Agreement on Liberalization, Promotion and Protection of Investment on June 14, 2007, and officially in act on July 31, 2008.

Since then, there has been 128 Japanese companies investing in Cambodia with a total investment of $2.7 billion.
=FRESH NEWS