AKP Phnom Penh, June 18, 2026 --

Cambodia and Bulgaria have kicked off a fresh push to broaden economic and tourism cooperation, with Phnom Penh pitching itself as a stable, high-potential investment destination in Southeast Asia.

During a working meeting in Sofia on June 17, Cambodian Ambassador to Bulgaria H.E. Dr. Chea Chanboribo held talks with Mr. Veselin Koshev, a key Bulgarian figure heading the Direct Democracy European Movement, the Alliance Bulgarie–France Alsace 2012, and the Euro-Asian Association for Business, Culture and Friendship, to map out new partnership avenues across trade, infrastructure, and hospitality.

Mr. Koshev underscored his organisations’ deep ties with local municipalities, businesses, and schools, calling them a “vital bridge” to strengthen Bulgaria-Cambodia relations. Discussions zeroed in on construction, manufacturing, medical tourism, and agro-industry as prime areas for joint ventures.

For his part, Ambassador Chea Chanboribo spotlighted Cambodia’s decades-long political stability and pro-business reforms, noting that the Royal Government is actively courting foreign capital through private-sector incentives and regional integration. He singled out tourism as a national pillar, citing Angkor Wat, the Tonle Sap Lake, and the Gulf of Thailand’s developing coastline as magnets for global visitors and hospitality investors.

While Cambodia offers e-visas for seamless tourist entry, the Ambassador raised a lingering hurdle: visa access for Cambodians travelling to Bulgaria. He urged both sides to find pragmatic solutions to ease people-to-people flows.

The meeting marks a concrete step toward reviving historical ties and building a durable economic bridge between Cambodia and Bulgaria, with both sides pledging to foster direct links between their chambers of commerce and business associations.

By K. Rithy Reak