Pakistan and Cambodia’s top commerce officials met on Tuesday to lay the groundwork for a significant expansion in bilateral trade, focusing on improving logistics connectivity and fostering direct business engagement ahead of the second Joint Trade Committee (JTC) session.
The preliminary bilateral discussions were held between Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan and his Cambodian counterpart, Cham Nimul, Minister of Commerce. Rana Ihsaan Afzal Khan, the Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Commerce, was also in attendance, according to an official report today.
While welcoming the Cambodian delegation, Minister Khan highlighted the positive momentum in economic relations since the inaugural JTC session, which took place in Phnom Penh on January 21, 2025. Both sides reiterated that the JTC serves as the primary platform for promoting trade, investment, and wider economic partnership.
The ministers reviewed opportunities for enhanced collaboration across several priority areas, including pharmaceuticals, healthcare products, textiles, value-added apparel, agriculture, agro-processing, leather, and light manufacturing.
To translate policy discussions into tangible commercial results, both parties agreed to bolster business-to-business links by facilitating greater interaction between their respective chambers of commerce and sector-specific associations.
A key point of discussion was the enhancement of trade facilitation and logistics to reduce expenses and ensure dependable supply chains. The importance of efficient shipping and robust regional linkages was emphasised as crucial for supporting exporters.
Concluding the talks, both ministers expressed optimism that the upcoming JTC meeting on February 10-11 would successfully identify practical deliverables and priority sectors, further deepening Pakistan-Cambodia economic ties through sustained cooperation.