ISLAMABAD, Feb 10 (APP): Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan on Tuesday stressed the need to further deepen trade relations between Pakistan and Cambodia to fully realize their trade and investment potential for mutual economic benefit and social prosperity of both countries.
Jam Kamal, along with the Cambodian Commerce Minister, visited the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) and addressed the business community, said a press release issued by the Ministry of Commerce.
The FPCCI hosted a business engagement in honor of Cham Nimul, Minister of Commerce of the Kingdom of Cambodia, to promote Pakistan–Cambodia trade, investment, and private-sector linkages.
He paid tribute to the resilience of Pakistan’s business community in the face of recent economic challenges, including high inflation, elevated interest rates and foreign exchange volatility.
The minister said Pakistan’s foremost challenge is now achieving sustainable growth, which hinges on improved competitiveness, higher investment, and greater fiscal space, adding that the upcoming federal budget would be critical to reducing the cost and improving the ease of doing business.
Outlining Pakistan’s trade diplomacy strategy, he noted that official engagements are increasingly being paired with structured business-to-business forums and sectoral matchmaking, resulting in 60 to 70 business agreements during recent interactions.
Highlighting key investment priorities, he identified gaps in naphtha cracking, steel, pharmaceutical APIs, refineries, and mineral processing, and said the government is preparing a comprehensive investment portfolio along with an upcoming MDI program to attract investment from partners including the Gulf, China, and the United States.
He further described Pakistan as a potential regional hub due to its connectivity to Central Asia and pointed to collaboration opportunities such as Cambodia’s yarn imports and Pakistan’s spinning capacity.
In her remarks Cham Nimul thanked FPCCI and the Government of Pakistan for the hospitality during her delegation’s first visit and said Pakistan’s recent journey reflects a strong story of resilience.
She noted Cambodia is examining reforms to strengthen coordination among business associations and expressed interest in deeper chamber-to-chamber cooperation, including mechanisms that can facilitate business engagement even before the full establishment of an embassy presence.
Pakistan’s textile value chain is vertically integrated from spinning and yarn to fabrics, while Cambodia is stronger in downstream segments, offering scope for partnerships that build backward linkages, she said adding that the pharmaceuticals and medical equipment form a major component of Cambodia’s imports from Pakistan and suggested exploring facilitation mechanisms, including the concept of a dedicated arrangement/zone to encourage Pakistani pharmaceutical investment and operations.
She said that Cambodia can serve as a gateway for Pakistani businesses to ASEAN and RCEP markets, and emphasized that the relationship must remain a two-way street supported through government-to-government, business-to-business, and government-to-business cooperation.
Speaking on the occasion, President FPCCI, Atif Ikram Sheikh, underscored the importance of regional connectivity and sustainable trade, stating that Pakistan–Cambodia relations carry untapped potential in agriculture, rice, food processing, textiles, pharmaceuticals, light engineering, tourism and logistics.
He said FPCCI is ready to facilitate B2B linkages, exhibitions, investment matchmaking and systematic follow-up with relevant stakeholders to expand bilateral trade volumes and market access.