The Thai Ministry of Commerce is planning to hold a border trade fair with Cambodia featuring a discussion with the Cambodian Commerce Minister next week with aim to increase the border trade value by 25 percent this year, said the Thai Deputy Minister.

The Deputy Minister of Commerce Apiradi Tantraporn has revealed that a border trade fair is set to be held on March 26-30 at the Special Economic Zone in Sa Kaeo province. The fair will also serve as a platform of discussion with the Commerce Minister of Cambodia on trade and investment opportunities. The discussion will also cover on trade and investment cooperation between private sectors from both countries.

Five Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) are expected to be signed at the fair. The Chamber of Commerce of Sa Kaeo and Banteay Meanchey province will sign the MOUs on joint investment in rice mill, logistics, and the establishment of a goods distribution centre in Poipet Special Economic Zone, with the investment value estimated at 2.5 billion THB.

Both countries are targeting an annual trade growth of 20-25 percent, with the trade value expected to reach 6,000 million USD this year.

The border trade fair will be the stage for mutual logistics development on the route from Bangkok, Thailand to Hoi An, Vietnam via Cambodia, and the East-West Economic Corridor that connects Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and even Vietnam, which is considered the connectivity window of ASEAN to the world.-VNA