Indonesia is actively seeking to broaden its trade relations with Cambodia, extending its focus beyond rice to include agricultural products. As the sixth largest trading partner with Cambodia, Indonesia sees rice trade as merely the beginning of a more expansive trade relationship. Indonesian Ambassador to Cambodia, Santo Darmosumarto, expressed this ambition during a public lecture at Pannasastra University, emphasizing the desire to delve into digital technology and green energy sectors.
The lecture, titled ‘Transforming historical ties between Indonesia and Cambodia into concrete cooperation,’ highlighted Ambassador Darmosumarto as a key speaker. He discussed the global geopolitical landscape and its impact on Southeast Asian countries, including Cambodia and Indonesia. The Ambassador pointed out the significant influence of global powers such as the US and China in the region, while also noting how countries like Japan and Singapore have made pronounced global impacts despite their smaller sizes.
In his lecture, Ambassador Darmosumarto also touched upon the aspirations of Cambodia, given its strategic location, to rise as a significant power in Southeast Asia. He humorously addressed the students’ inquiries about interning at the Indonesian Embassy, emphasizing the importance of meaningful roles over menial tasks like making coffee.
A major challenge to boosting trade between the two nations, as identified by Santo, is logistics. The high cost of shipping has been a barrier to trade, but Santo remains hopeful that increased trade volumes will lead to more competitive pricing for Indonesian products in Cambodia. He stressed the importance of enhancing interactions and discussions between Cambodian and Indonesian businessmen to identify potential areas of cooperation.
Ambassador Darmosumarto took a moment to recognize the efforts of his predecessors in laying the groundwork for the current success in trade relations between the two nations. He explained that the strides being made today are the fruits of diligent work over the past decade, emphasizing trade cooperation as an ongoing and evolving process with long-term benefits.
The event, organized by the Department of Social Sciences and International Relations at Pannasastra University, drew a large audience of students. It concluded with an engaging quiz about Indonesia, where students had the opportunity to win prizes, showcasing the educational and interactive approach taken by the ambassador in fostering Indonesia-Cambodia relations. Through these efforts, both nations look forward to a future of more robust economic ties and mutual prosperity.
Source: Khmer Times
