Phnom Penh / Italy: H.E. Prof. Dr. Sok Siphana, Senior Minister in charge of Special Missions and Chairman of the Trade Policy Advisory Board, recently delivered a strong statement at the 2025 World Trade Forum in Italy, underscoring that peace is indispensable for a functional, rules-based international trading system.
H.E. Dr. Sok Siphana identified “hot wars” as a primary feature contributing to global trade disorder. He cited a recent example concerning Cambodia, noting how Thailand’s aggression and unilateral border closure severely impacted the estimated US$3 billion in bilateral trade, illustrating the immediate economic devastation caused by conflict.
The Senior Minister warned that the global trade regime is becoming paralyzed by a confluence of factors, including political tensions, economic uncertainties, and growing fragmentation. He highlighted the weakening influence of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the concurrent rise of regional and “mini-lateral” trade arrangements.
This structural shift, H.E. Dr. Sok Siphana cautioned, reflects an alarming move away from a cooperative trading environment toward a far more competitive and unstable one. He reiterated that the global trade system’s paralysis stems directly from the growing uncertainties in geopolitics and the world economy.