Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh is attending the 13th Meeting of the Cambodia-Vietnam Joint Committee for Economic, Cultural, Scientific, and Technological Cooperation that opened in Phnom Penh on Monday, focusing on measures to boost comprehensive ties.

The Deputy PM, who is also Minister of Foreign Affairs, and his Cambodian counterpart Hor Nam Hong is co-chairing the event. At the top of the agenda of the two-day meeting are measures to strengthen the relationship and comprehensive cooperation as well as launch cooperative agreements reached at the previous meeting. In addition, the two sides will outline orientations for 2014 and discuss international and regional issues of mutual concerns. Last year the two-way trade of the two countries reached US$3.5 billion and the figure is expected to reach US$5 billion by 2015. Vietnam is now the third largest trade partner of Cambodia among the 140 countries and territories trading with the country. Vietnamese investors have invested about $3 billion in 127 projects in Cambodia, ranking fifth among the largest investors in the country. Currently, the two countries are completing procedures to realize an agreement on investment encouragement and protection.