The Vietnam Trade Fair 2009 “Friendship, Cooperation and Development”, the second of its kind, opened at the Mondial National Exhibition Centre in Phnom Penh on Sept. 2.

Attending the opening ceremony, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Trade Minister Cham Prasit described the event as a great effort on the part of the Vietnamese Government to boost trade ties between the two countries toward the goal of raising two-way trade to 2 billion USD in 2010, as set by Prime Ministers Nguyen Tan Dung and Hun Sen.

Deputy PM Cham Prasit said that through trade fairs, trade turnover between the two countries has consistently increased in recent years from 935 million USD in 2006 to almost 1.7 billion USD in 2008 and is expected to be higher this year.

He took this occasion to call on businesses from both countries to accelerate trade and investment for the benefit of the two peoples and nations.

As many as 125 Vietnamese businesses are displaying their wares, including industrial products, commodities, foodstuff, cosmetics and garments.

During fair, seminars on business and investment opportunities between enterprises of the two countries will also be held.

The fair will run through Sept. 6./.