(Phnom Penh): Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet held a working meeting with Bakytzhan Sagintayev, Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC), on Thursday afternoon (Jun. 18), on the sidelines of the 35th ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit, held in Kazan, Russian Federation, from 17-18 June 2026.

During the meeting, the chairman of the board expressed his pleasure at meeting with Samdech Thipadei and expressed satisfaction with the progress of relations and cooperation between the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and Cambodia over the past decade.

In response, Samdech Thipadei highly valued the growing relations and cooperation between Cambodia and the EAEU, particularly in the field of trade. He underscored that Cambodia has been actively diversifying its export markets and trade partners, creating a favourable opportunity for both sides to jointly explore the prospect of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

Samdech Thipadei emphasised that trade and investment in Cambodia extend beyond access to the domestic market alone. Rather, Cambodia serves as a strategic gateway to regional and international markets through its bilateral FTAs, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and the broader ASEAN market.

In this regard, an FTA with Cambodia would provide the EAEU with significant opportunities to expand its access to wider regional markets.
 
Both sides also discussed ways to increase bilateral trade by identifying sectors with strong potential for mutually beneficial cooperation. Both parties agreed that Cambodia and the EAEU possess considerable untapped potential to further expand their cooperation. In this regard, progressing towards the future conclusion of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) would help boost trade between Cambodia and the EAEU.
=FRESH NEWS