Phnom Penh, Aug 22 (IANS): Cambodia and Indonesia have vowed to bolster bilateral relations and cooperation for mutual benefit, said a Cambodian Foreign Ministry's news statement on Thursday.

The commitment was made during the fifth meeting of the Cambodia-Indonesia Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) held in Phnom Penh on Tuesday and Wednesday, which was co-chaired by Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sok Chenda Sophea and Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi.

Both sides noted with satisfaction the steady growth of bilateral trade, which exceeded $1 billion in 2023, and agreed to expedite the conclusion of a bilateral memorandum of understanding on rice trade, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The Ministers emphasised the importance of food security, and affirmed commitment to expedite the implementation of the MoU on agricultural cooperation, signed in September 2023, and the signing of the MoU on cooperation on small and medium enterprises," the news statement said.

"To improve connectivity and facilitate economic and cultural exchanges, both sides concurred to endeavour for more direct flights between tourist cities of the two countries," it added.

The two sides had an extensive deliberation on other key areas of cooperation including energy, ICT, health, cooperation in river basin management, industrial cooperation, cooperation on digitalisation, and labour and vocational training.

The two Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to enhance the existing good cooperation in fighting transnational crimes, particularly trafficking in persons by effectively and fully implementing relevant instruments under bilateral and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) frameworks.

They also underscored the importance of strengthening the ASEAN centrality and unity in engaging with external partners through ASEAN-led mechanisms.

According to the news statement, the sixth meeting of the JCBC will be held in Indonesia in 2026.