Khmer Times, Opinion, 25 September 2025 (Link)
There are two major trends that have spurred the economisation of foreign embassies in Cambodia. One is Cambodia’s planned graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status in 2029, and the other is Cambodia’s boycott of Thailand-made products.
Cambodia is scheduled to effectively graduate from LDC status in 2029 and partner countries are supporting Cambodia in the process to ensure smooth transition through market enlargement, trade facilitation and enhancement of production capacity, among others.
It is encouraging to note that the evolution of the partnership, once primarily focused on politics and aid, towards a multifaceted cooperation that includes more exchanges in terms of trade and economic activities has gained positive momentum.
Key partner countries have begun to create a trade, investment and economic portfolio within their embassy staff rosters, and those that already have this portfolio are finding themselves adding more economic staff to the team to meet the growing need for specialisation and dedicated resources.
There are multiple examples to look at.
For instance, the British Embassy is very proud that the British architectural firm Foster and Partners participated in the design of Techo International Airport, a modern and breathtaking airport, at least from the perspective of the Cambodian people, thus inscribing the name of the Cambodian airport on the list of world-class airports. A Cambodian delegation recently visited the United Kingdom to learn about the process of joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).