Phnom Penh, July 8, 2025 — The World Bank has reiterated its strong and long-term commitment to Cambodia’s sustainable development, focusing on critical sectors such as education, health, and agriculture. This reaffirmation was made by H.E. Ms. Manuela V. Ferro, World Bank Regional Vice President for East Asia and Pacific, during a courtesy meeting with Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh on Monday afternoon.
During the meeting, Ms. Ferro praised Cambodia’s economic resilience in the face of global uncertainty, acknowledging the country’s solid economic foundations built over the past two decades. She also commended Cambodia’s effective and timely response to the COVID-19 pandemic, positioning the Kingdom as one of the regional leaders in pandemic management and recovery.
Looking ahead, Ms. Ferro emphasized the importance of public-private partnerships in driving future growth and urged Cambodia to build further capacity in sectors such as energy, agriculture, agro-industry, and infrastructure. She also highlighted the need to strengthen connectivity with regional and global markets through the country’s existing network of bilateral and multilateral trade agreements.
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In response, Prime Minister Hun Manet expressed deep appreciation for the World Bank’s continued support and outlined the Royal Government’s policy priorities under the 7th Legislature of the National Assembly. He emphasized human capital development as a central focus, with investments in primary and secondary education, and the implementation of skills-oriented training programmes to meet the evolving demands of the job market.
The Prime Minister highlighted a flagship initiative offering free vocational training to 1.5 million young Cambodians, aimed at boosting competitiveness in industry, manufacturing, and supply chains. He also underlined the government’s priority on strengthening agriculture and the agro-industrial sector to ensure inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
Samdech Thipadei encouraged closer collaboration between the World Bank and relevant Cambodian ministries to deepen existing partnerships and explore new avenues of cooperation. He also welcomed potential expansion into emerging sectors such as digital development, renewable energy, infrastructure, and innovation-led public-private partnerships.
Both sides agreed to continue their dialogue and work together toward shared goals that contribute to the wellbeing of the Cambodian people and the long-term prosperity of the nation.
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The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to building an inclusive, resilient, and forward-looking Cambodia through sustained cooperation and strategic development initiatives.
