search results

Sophea KIM, 40, is the founder of “NUON House of Beauty”, a beauty salon specialising in hair removal, located on Rue 222 in Phnom Penh. Step through the gate and across a splendid courtyard filled with beautiful plants, and you'll arrive at this warm, intimate beauty spot where time seems to stand still. Can you introduce yourself in a few words? S.K: My name is Sophea and I'm the founder of Nuon House of Beauty, which opened in 2015. I come from a very poor background, originally from Sihanoukville, I was an orphan at the ASPECA Centre and I was sponsored by a Frenchman. I grew up sharing. How did you learn French? S.K: When I was younger, I used to write letters to my godfather and I was constantly comparing the length of the text between French and Khmer. So, from secondary school onwards, I kept at it and took a bilingual class taught by Cambodian teachers who speak French. I practised speaking, listened to the radio a lot and imitated my godfather's handwriting. What was your academic and professional background? S.K: I studied education at the Faculty of Pedagogy in Phnom Penh, with the help of a grant from the Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), in French language and Khmer literature. When I finished my studies, I worked in education for 3 years, in particular as a French teacher at the AUF. Then I got the urge to change jobs. Why did you consider changing careers? S.K : I enjoyed teaching, but I wanted to open myself up to something else, so I went into production. Speaking French helped me to find a job quite easily, so I first had the opportunity to meet the team of Rithy Panh, a French-Khmer director, and to work alongside him in the production team from 2007 to 2014, as casting director and assistant director. I've done a lot of things, but I had the idea of opening a Salon mainly because I had girlfriends who worked as make-up artists for films and practised ‘SFX’ techniques, special effects, and I was always impressed by their work. “I had this idea of having my own salon, in particular to change the preconceived idea that the beauty industry is a place where people have little education and are at the bottom of the professional ladder.” So I set up a quality salon, accessible to everyone, and at the same time I continue to write fiction, stories about Cambodia, short films... What does “NUON” mean? S.K: In Khmer, it's the name given to women in poems and songs in the Kingdom of Cambodia. It's a very old word that reflects the elegance of women, and it represents our Salon, which is entirely feminine, both in terms of our team of employees and our clientele. How many people are in your team? S.K: There are five of us in total, including one person who is entirely responsible for the Salon's hygiene, as well as the team's meals. This allows us to regulate our consumption, both for our own health and to avoid wastage. On top of that, we are all constantly being trained in new techniques and hygiene rules. “We grow together like a family, but within a professional framework with rules to apply, while taking care of each other.” How do you work with your partners? S.K: First of all, for waxing and skincare, we work with French brands such as CIRÉPIL and Le Club des Professionnels (CLP), and for hair, we work with an Italian brand, ELGON. So I've had the opportunity to go to France to meet the teams we work with. I'm often in contact with them by videoconference when new products require new training. What's more, we share our training free of charge with women who also offer beauty services in Cambodia. As well as French brands (hair removal) and Italian brands (hair), we also work with the Cambodian brand ‘Bodia’ and try to incorporate Cambodian traditions, in particular by including plants from the Kingdom, while respecting customers' requests in terms of what they want in terms of the product used. What's special about your salon? S.K: It's still a very intimate salon, we have a fairly large public and we want to preserve the moment for our customers without exposing them on social networks so that they can enjoy their experience with us in complete tranquillity. In fact, sometimes customers contact us months in advance and when they're visiting Cambodia, they stop here for our services or our products. “ We put health first and are very attentive and vigilant about the specific needs of our customers’ skin and hair types.” In your opinion, what is the place of hair removal, and aesthetics in general, in Cambodia? S.K: In Cambodia, hair removal is not yet a common practice, which is fortunate for us too, because we are becoming a reference centre for many people. However, we're still a small local team and demand isn't very high yet, but it's happening little by little and we're growing with our customers, who are the ones who recommend us. “We want to grow a bit more, not just for ourselves, but also for Cambodia. It helps to increase Khmer know-how and go beyond that to create relationships with other countries.” A few final words? S.K: I'm proud of myself and my team of employees. We are proud to read positive comments that highlight the beauty services in Cambodia.

The five participating political parties – including the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), the Khmer Will Party, the National Power Party, the FUNCINPEC Party, and the Khmer National United Party – have begun their respective campaigns in different forms. In the capital, some 10,000 supporters of the ruling CPP organised a big rally to present their political agenda. CPP President Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen this morning sent a clear message to his party members and supporters: run the election campaign peacefully for a free and fair election. The CPP president also demanded that they strictly respect the election laws, regulations, procedures and ethics. The 4th-mandate Capital, Provincial, Municipal, District and Khan Council Election on 26 May 2024 is an important election to further promote the national social development process, especially democratic development at the sub-national level. Samdech Techo Hun Sen has reaffirmed the CPP’s commitment to join other political parties, social milieus and competent authorities at all levels in maintaining the political environment for the free, fair, orderly and safe election. A total of 11,622 voters have registered for the election to be held on 26 May in 209 polling stations throughout the country. The election of capital, provincial, municipal, district, and khan councils is a proportional, non-universal election in which commune and Sangkat council members are voters for two councils, including the capital, provincial council; and municipal, district, and khan council. There are 1,652 communes and 209 municipalities, districts, and khans for the election, and there are 559 seats for members of the capital and provincial councils and 3,641 seats for municipal, district, and khan councils.

Cambodia is set to host the second Asian Mixed Martial Arts Championship in July, following the successful first event, held in Thailand last August. Gordon Tang, vice-president of the Olympic Council of Asia and president of the Asian Mixed Martial Arts Association (AMMA), confirmed the coming event in late April meeting with Prime Minister Hun Manet in Phnom Penh. Mixed Martial Arts, or MMA, is a full-contact hybrid combat sport that incorporates elements of striking, grappling and ground fighting from many different fighting styles from all around the world. The first Asian Mixed Martial Arts Championship was held in Thailand last August. MMA Originally designed as a means of determining which of the martial arts would be the most effective in an actual fight, modern participants typically train in a mix of styles, including striking arts like Kun Khmer, as well as the ground fighting techniques of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. During his meeting with Manet, Tang proudly shared how he has played a pivotal role in the development of the Kingdom’s sporting sector. He has provided both financial and technical support for the sports of sailing and gymnastics, and has also sent Cambodian athletes to China for further training. Tang also told the prime minister that he wholeheartedly supports the Kingdom’s hosting of the 2029 Asian Youth Games and urged for more sports to be incorporated into the event. The prime minister is determined to build on the success of the 32nd SEA Games, which were hosted by the Kingdom for the first time in May 2023, by encouraging more international sporting events to be hosted by Cambodia.

An easy recipe, not unlike the famous lok lak. Ingredients (serves 4) 1 tablespoon sugar, preferably cane sugar 2 tablespoons lime juice 2 teaspoons ground black pepper 1 teaspoon water 2 tablespoons mushroom soy sauce 2 tablespoons canola, peanut or sunflower oil 8 garlic cloves, crushed 1 green salad 500 grams beef sirloin, cut into small pieces of three to five centimetres Preparation Mix together the sugar, a spoonful of black pepper, soy sauce and crushed garlic. Add the pieces of beef and stir well to impregnate the meat with the marinade. Leave to rest for half an hour Mix the remaining pepper with the lime juice and water. Place the mixture in a sauce boat or small bowl Sauté the beef in the oil for three to five minutes until browned but not toasted. Arrange on a plate garnished with lettuce and serve with the lime sauce Serve with jasmine rice. It also goes very well with a few fresh vegetables

Banh Chew is a simple dish that can be found in virtually every food stall in the markets of Phnom Penh and the provinces, and is easy to prepare to suit everyone's taste. Ingredients For the crepe paste : 125 g rice flour 250 ml water 1 teaspoon turmeric For the filling : Stuffing: 300 g pork 4 to 5 prawns 100 g soya 1 onion Chopped fresh chilli, salt and pepper Accompaniment 1/2 cucumber 1 salad 100 g crushed peanuts 6-7 Chinese basil leaves 1/2 bunch mint leaves 5 tbsp fish sauce 2 tbsp lime juice 3 teaspoons sugar 1 clove garlic, minced Preparation For the pancake batter, mix all the ingredients well. Leave to rest for several hours. For the side dish, wash and slice the cucumber half. Wash and drain the salad or the sauce, mix all the ingredients in a bowl For the stuffing, chop the pork and garlic. Mince the onion and prawns. Brown everything in a saucepan Add the chilli, salt and pepper

“Curry or cari is a generic term for a wide variety of spicy preparations. It is mainly found in Indian or Indian-influenced cuisines", according to Wikipedia. Classic recipe Curry is certainly the most visible contribution of Indian cooking to the cuisines of South-East Asia, and Cambodia in particular. There are countless Khmer preparations that fall into the category of “curries”: crab curry, prawn curry, beef curry, poultry curry, fish curry, etc. Most often eaten with fresh rice noodles នំបញ្ចុក (Nom banh-chok), and considered by the Khmers to be soups, curries are also a magnificent accompaniment to white rice. In Cambodia, there are almost as many curry spice mixtures (គ្រឿងការី - kroeung kari) as there are cooks. The ingredients used and their respective quantities are very varied, even if there are some ingredients that cannot be ignored (lemongrass, shallots and garlic, galanga, turmeric, kaffir lime leaves, smoked chillies). Here is a fairly classic recipe. Ingredients: 2~3 lemongrass stalks (ស្លឹកគ្រឺ sleuk krey) 1 piece galangal (រំដេង rom-déng) 1 piece of turmeric (ល្មៀត lmiet) 5~6 cloves of garlic 2~3 shallots 2~3 kaffir lime leaves (ស្លឹកក្រូចសើច sleuk kroch saeuch) 1~2 tbsp coriander seeds (ការីស [ka-ri sâ], literally ‘white curry’) (optional) 2~3 dried smoked chillies (ម្ទេសឆ្អើរ mtèh ch'ae) Preparation Clean all the ingredients and soak the smoked chillies in water. Carefully chop the lemongrass stalks into very thin slices. Peel the galanga and chop into small pieces. Peel the turmeric and cut into thin slices. Peel the garlic and shallots. Coarsely chop the shallots. Cut the lemon kafir leaves into very fine threads. First, carefully crush the lemongrass stalks in a mortar. Once a fairly fine, even consistency has been achieved, add the kaffir lime leaves, coriander seeds, galanga and turmeric, and finally the shallots and garlic cloves. Continue to mash until you obtain a smooth mixture with a fairly pasty texture. Drain the smoked chillies and chop finely to obtain a paste. Keep the first mixture and the smoked chillies in separate containers if you are not cooking your dish immediately. When preparing the dish, the ‘curry paste’ and the chilli paste are first browned in a little oil at the bottom of the pan before adding the other curry ingredients (meat, vegetables, etc). Tips The quantities given for the ingredients are deliberately imprecise. It is up to you to adjust the quantities according to your taste preferences. Some people use a food processor to prepare the spice blend. It seems to us that the texture obtained using the traditional method, with mortar and pestle, is much better. Lemongrass has a pronounced woody texture. It is essential to cut it very finely and grind it for a long time, until a fairly fine texture is obtained, otherwise the fibrous sauce of the cooked dish will be quite unpleasant in the mouth. To cut the kaffir lime leaves, it's best to roll them into a small cylinder, then cut them into very thin slices. The spice blend without smoked chilli can be kept in the fridge for several days and in the freezer for several weeks. You can therefore prepare a certain quantity in advance. This is not the case with smoked chilli paste, which must be prepared just before cooking. You can buy ready-made smoked chilli paste. Shallots and garlic are usually added to the chilli. In this case, the amount of garlic and shallot added to the spice mix should be reduced. Text and photographs by Pascal Médeville

Plantation Urban Resort presents 'Reflection', a unique art exhibition by Russian-born artist Vika, in June 2024. Plantation Urban Resort is delighted to announce its next art exhibition, 'Reflection', curated by talented visual artist Vika. Scheduled for June 2024, the exhibition promises to be a mix of "realism, illusion and allusion". Vika, a visionary artist with an engineering background and a passion for space exploration, is inviting the public to "embark on a transformative experience through thought-provoking works". She promises to captivate audiences with her innovative vision and unusual illustrations. "I believe that real art should motivate and inspire viewers, even if it means confronting uncomfortable truths," she explains. In her work, Vika chooses to label her works without providing additional descriptions, allowing each viewer to interpret them in their own way. This diversity of perception is therefore celebrated in Vika's work, where everyone sees what they want to see, and where each viewing can reveal something new. Vika's illustrations are primarily a visualisation of her life, also depicting the way light falls at different angles rather than fantastical worlds. Her technique, known as Re-allusion (real+illusion+allusion), combines natural colours with stylised representations to create atmospheric illustrations. By also emphasising contrasting foregrounds, Vika's works invite viewers to fully immerse themselves in her worlds beyond imagination. "We are delighted to welcome Vika's extraordinary exhibition to Plantation Urban Resort," says Alexander Scheible, General Manager of Plantation Urban Resort, adding: "Vika's multidisciplinary approach to art and passion for exploration make this exhibition an immersive experience for our guests. We invite art lovers and inspiration seekers to join us on this transformative journey." Don't miss your chance to witness the convergence of art and technology at Plantation Urban Resort this June. For more information and to book an appointment, please contact info@theplantation.asia or call +855 (0) 23 21 51 51. About Plantation Urban Resort Plantation Urban Resort is a luxury hotel nestled in the heart of Phnom Penh. Since its opening in 2011, it has remained a model of excellence in Cambodian hospitality. In addition to offering high-quality accommodation, the hotel regularly hosts art exhibitions, culinary events and community initiatives.

Cambodian President of the Senate, Samdech Techo Hun Sen, received here this morning a visiting French Senator for Seine & Marne H.E. Vincent ÉBLÉ, President of French-Cambodian Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group. In the meeting, Samdech Techo Hun Sen expressed his warm welcome to H.E. Vincent ÉBLÉ’s visit to Cambodia, hoping that it will further strengthen the relations and cooperation between France and Cambodia. The senate president thanked France for her contribution to Cambodia’s socio-economic development, and briefed his guest on the current situation in Cambodia. For his part, H.E. Vincent ÉBLÉ said he is delighted to visit Cambodia once again, after he paid ten visits to the Kingdom, both private and official, and congratulated Cambodia on her progress. He also shared his insights over tourism perceptions, cultural preservation projects, French investment in Cambodia, etc. Besides, Samdech Techo Hun Sen and H.E. Vincent ÉBLÉ exchanged views on Francophonie, Russia-Ukraine War, and so on. H.E. Vincent ÉBLÉ reaffirmed the French government’s support to Cambodia’s candidacy to host the Francophonie Summit in 2026.

Cambodia Angkor Air, the national airline of Cambodia, has announced the launch of direct flights between Phnom Penh and New Delhi, India. According to the airline's press release, Cambodia Angkor Air's historic launch of direct flights during the Cambodia-India ‘Year of Cultural Tourism’ in 2024 marks an important step in strengthening economic, cultural and tourism exchanges between the two countries. “It is an honour for me to deepen the traditional friendship between India and Cambodia through our historic direct service. We are committed to warmly showing the ‘Khmer smile’, offering safe and comfortable travel; we plan to open new routes connecting Siem Reap to Delhi and Phnom Penh to other cities in India soon”,said David Yuhong Zhan, Director of the Cambodia Tourism Board, Vice President and General Manager of Cambodia Angkor Air. He added: “This new route not only meets the growing demand for direct connectivity between Cambodia and India, but also reinforces our commitment to providing passengers with unmatched service, comfort and convenience.” During the roadshow, H.E. Kuong Koy, Cambodia's Ambassador to India, emphasised that direct flights enabled Indian entrepreneurs to consider investing in a dynamic country, while H.E. Seila Hul, Undersecretary of State of the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism, extended a warm invitation to Indian tourists. In addition, nearly two hundred representatives from the tourism and civil aviation sectors of both countries, as well as the media, attended the event, exploring various possibilities for collaboration. As a tribute to the inaugural flight, Cambodia Angkor Air will be offering special promotional fares to travellers booking tickets on this route, so that they can experience the best of Cambodian and Indian hospitality.

Since July 2020, Cambodian Lundy Taing has been running the Amber Kampot hotel. A very active, friendly and cheerful character, Lundy is also a passionate hotelier who has not hesitated to challenge himself to manage this destination, which is not quite like any other. Tell us a little about yourself and your background My name is Lundy Taing. I was actually born in Battambang, but I moved to Siem Reap in 1995 and I'm still a resident there. I'm currently the manager of Amber Kampot. My career started with a hotel in Siem Reap. In 2001, I joined the Hôtel de La Paix before moving on to other hotels. Finally, in 2015, I joined the Thalias group. I worked at the Malis Siem Reap and also for the one in Phnom Penh. A year later I moved on to the Banyan Tree, but when the Covid arrived they decided to close, so I moved to Kampot and I've been working at Amber since 2020. How did you get here? I knew the former general manager of Templation in Siem Reap well, as his daughter also goes to the same school as my children, and he asked me if I wanted to work in Kampot. I said yes and he sent me the application form. I applied, was accepted and then came to Kampot in July 2020. How would you define Amber Kampot? Amber Kampot caters for everyone because as a resort, our market is local, local upmarket and also tourist. As far as tourists are concerned, we welcome everyone, Americans, Australians, French, British, Europeans and Chinese. So everyone is welcome at Amber Kampot. What type of activities do you offer? As we have direct access to the river, we concentrate on water-based activities. We offer free kayaking, paddle-boarding, water-biking, Hobie-cats, water-skiing and other fun activities. I think we're the only ones to do this. Then we offer other activities such as the sunset boat trip, which is very popular, and also the floating dinner and picnic on an island. We also offer dawn kayak trips through the mangrove forest at Trapaing Sangke. Soon, we will be working with the Marine Conservation association and will be able to take our customers to see the dolphins. These are the on-site activities, but we also organise excursions and special days to discover the region's emblematic places. What are the challenges in running Amber Kampot? I actually really like Amber Kampot because I love water and there are lots of activities linked to it. “Before, I didn't even know how to drive a boat or what water-skiing or windsurfing was, but for almost four years now in Kampot, I've been able to do it all. For me, it's very exciting to be working in this hotel.” After COVID, the situation became quite difficult, but I think people will come to Kampot more and more. The governor is very active in promoting the region. So I hope that in the future, Kampot will welcome more and more tourists. Today, we face a challenge because our main clientele is local. And now that the borders are open, many Cambodians are choosing to travel abroad. Foreign tourists are coming back, but very slowly. Today, we are welcoming a few, but this is still not enough to compensate for the loss of the local market. Are there any other attractions to highlight at Amber Kampot? In fact, people come here for the change of scenery and also to discover the region. Our accommodation is very luxurious and we strive to offer top quality gastronomy, in keeping with the prestige of our establishment. Our chef, Dimanche, is very creative and regularly offers new fusion dishes to keep our regular customers happy. In fact, 30 to 40% of our customers are regulars, so we have to keep them entertained, both with our activities and our menu. In conclusion, do you feel happy here? Absolutely, it's a demanding but exciting job that allows you to touch on a bit of everything. Having chosen this profession, I'm delighted to be able to do it in such a privileged place.

The local representation of France's foreign trade advisors and the France-Cambodia Chamber of Commerce and Industry have confirmed that the 2024 edition of the France-Cambodia Business Forum will take place from 8 to 10 July. “This forum is a major event designed to explore the vast potential of the Cambodian market and is a direct follow-up to the visit of the Kingdom's Prime Minister Hun Manet to France on 18 and 19 January 2024”,say the organisers, pointing out that on this occasion, seven memorandums of understanding were signed, notably in the energy, infrastructure and distribution sectors, marking a new dynamic in Franco-Cambodian relations. “These agreements also demonstrate the Cambodian government's desire to promote the development of the private sector. The Forum is therefore a unique opportunity for French companies to capitalise on this potential for growth and economic development, and to connect with potential partners, political decision-makers and local experts.” The Forum will bring together French and Cambodian officials, including Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet - Prime Minister of Cambodia, M. The Forum will bring together French and Cambodian officials, including Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet - Prime Minister of Cambodia, Mr Franck Riester - French Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade, Attractiveness, the Francophonie and French Nationals Living Abroad, His Excellency Sun Chanthol - Deputy Prime Minister and First Vice-President of the Council for the Development of Cambodia, His Excellency Sok Chenda Sophea - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Cambodia, and Mr François Corbin - Vice-President of the Mouvement des Entreprises de France International (MEDEF International). Programme The event will take place over three days. The first day, to be held at the Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra, will be devoted to Cambodia's policies and priorities, with speeches by official representatives. The second day, at the Raffles Hôtel Le Royal Phnom Penh, will focus on the Cambodian market through the experience of entrepreneurs (context, opportunities and feedback), notably in the form of round tables. The third day in Sihanoukville will be devoted to government meetings and visits to sites with strong economic activity. See the detailed programme here

With the creation of a new airline, offering direct flights between Phnom Penh and the Indian capital, New Delhi. A strategic shift towards a promising customer base at a time when the travel sector is feeling the impact of China's slower-than-expected reopening. The decision, hailed by the Indian embassy in Phnom Penh as a “remarkable step and a historic achievement in the strong collaboration between these two nations and likely to open up opportunities in tourism and business partnerships”, comes against a backdrop of strong growth in Indian tourism as travellers from the world's most populous country flock to Southeast Asia, consolidating the country's position as a key market for a travel sector reeling from China's slower-than-expected reopening. A number of Thai and Vietnamese companies have realised this, and are already taking advantage of India's booming middle class and its soaring purchasing power. According to industry experts, South-East Asia is clearly well positioned to host much of the growth that will inevitably come from India. The travel industry remains vital to many of the region's economies, accounting for around 12% of the region's gross domestic product before the pandemic. Cambodia is slightly below this average, at 11.5%, compared to 32.7% in 2019, with annual growth of 4.7% since 2000. The tourism sector also employs more than 40 million people in the region, and for a decade the sector was fuelled by China, but official data for Southeast Asia shows a recovery that is far too slow, with the number of Chinese visitors in 2023 around 60% lower than in 2019. “In Thailand, Indians now account for almost 10% of the tourist clientele and this is an almost unhoped-for windfall”, says the director of a major hotel chain operating worldwide and in Cambodia. He also points out that the Kingdom also has to contend with the cost of tourist visas, whereas neighbouring Thailand and Vietnam offer free visas to certain travellers from around twenty countries. According to industry experts, ‘A long-term increase in the number of Indian tourists will lead to a recalibration of airline capacity, hospitality offerings and tourism operators’, and India could well become the next China ‘in terms of outbound tourism growth’ over the next decade. According to the Asian Development Bank, although connectivity is still limited by the small number of airports, ‘India will enable a historic leap in the sector this decade according to Covid’. In Thailand, where tourism is a mainstay of the economy, the number of Indian tourists - although lower than the Chinese in absolute terms - is only around 14% lower than it was in 2019. In May 2023, more Indians than Chinese visited Singapore, while in the same month almost 63,000 Indians visited Indonesia, compared to just over 64,000 Chinese. “Connections with India are very important”, says Chai Eamsiri, CEO of Thai Airways, which operates 14 flights a week with China - compared with 40 before the pandemic - and 70 flights a week with India. Part of Thai's fleet of narrow-body aircraft, which could double over the next decade, will be deployed in India. Indian airline IndiGo, which has ordered 500 Airbus aircraft to meet regional demand, said it had seen a ‘sharp increase’ in routes between India and Southeast Asia, which it connects with more than 100 flights a week. Overall, seat capacity on scheduled flights between China and Southeast Asia was 57% below pre-COVID levels, but flights from India to the region have jumped by around 90%. Indians are therefore making a major contribution to the post-pandemic rebound of hotel chains, including Minor Hotels, which has 45 establishments in South-East Asia and more than 6,000 rooms. “The Indian market has become one of our main regular source markets” says CEO Dillip Rajakarier, adding that the hotel chain has stepped up its marketing throughout India. The Royal Cambodian Embassy in India has been working closely with its Indian counterpart to reach a final decision on direct flights between the two countries. In the meantime, Cambodia's civil aviation authority has given the Indian carrier Indigo Air the go-ahead to operate flights between New Delhi and Siem Reap. Data from the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism shows that Cambodia welcomed 68,836 Indian visitors in 2023, an increase of more than 102% on the 34,016 visitors the previous year, but still a far cry from Thai statistics. In a bid to catch up, Cambodia and India have also formed a technical team to begin negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement that would strengthen trade, investment and commercial cooperation between the two countries.