Background
The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Working Group on Trade and Investment (WGTI) coordinates member-country cooperation on trade policy, investment facilitation, and regional value chain development under the GMS framework.
His Excellency PENN Sovicheat, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Commerce, serves as Cambodia’s WGTI chair and led the Cambodian delegation at the second WGTI meeting in Vientiane on 15 September 2026.
The meeting agenda focused on reviewing implementation progress of WGTI activities, collecting inputs on a draft Trade and Investment Strategy for 2026–2030, and discussing capacity-building measures to improve trade facilitation among GMS members.
Key Developments
Delegates at the second WGTI meeting expressed support for the draft Trade and Investment Strategy (2026–2030) and discussed next steps toward formal endorsement. Participants highlighted the strategy’s role in enabling the working group to strengthen cross-border trade cooperation and to promote deeper integration of regional value chains.
Policy Context
The draft Trade and Investment Strategy (2026–2030) is positioned as a sector-level framework intended to guide WGTI activities across member countries, including technical cooperation, capacity building for trade facilitation, and measures to support investment flows. Endorsement of the strategy would provide a coordinated policy basis for subsequent program planning and resource allocation among GMS partners.
Institutional Role
The Ministry of Commerce, through its Secretary of State acting as Cambodia’s WGTI chair, is the principal channel for presenting Cambodia’s inputs to the GMS trade and investment agenda. The working group convenes member-country officials to review progress, harmonize priorities, and design collaborative initiatives on trade facilitation and investment promotion.
