(Phnom Penh): Tetsuya Watanabe, President of the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), said that Cambodia has strong potential to attract Japanese investors.
Tetsuya Watanabe paid a courtesy call on Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet on Monday (Feb. 9) at the Peace Palace.
During the meeting, the ERIA president expressed his profound gratitude to the Samdech Thipadei for receiving him and his delegation. He briefed Samdech Thipadei on the findings of a study on the “Cambodia–Japan Green Special Economic Zone (C-J GSEZ).”
He also highlighted Cambodia’s potential and opportunities to attract Japanese investors, particularly its capacity to transform into a “new industrial production base.” This transformation, he noted, would not only contribute to Cambodia’s economic growth but also strengthen regional and global industrial value chains.
The ERIA president also informed the premier of rising interest among Japanese companies to expand their investments in Cambodia. He revealed plans to organise a Cambodia–Japan Business Forum in the near future to further promote Japanese investment.
He added that many Japanese firms are currently seeking to relocate production bases within the region and are increasingly viewing Cambodia as a competitive and promising destination.
For his part, Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet warmly welcomed Tetsuya Watanabe and his delegation and highly appreciated the outcomes of ERIA’s feasibility study. He underscored the Royal Government of Cambodia’s strong commitment to developing Green Special Economic Zones, as well as SEZs tailored to specific countries and industries.
In this regard, the premier encouraged ERIA to continue close coordination with relevant government ministries and institutions, particularly the Council for the Development of Cambodia, along with the private sector in both Cambodia and Japan. He stressed the importance of in-depth discussions to explore appropriate models for establishing bilateral or trilateral special economic zones.
=FRESH NEWS
