India, Cambodia discuss investment treaty, UPI collaboration to promote trade, tourism

India and Cambodia negotiate UPI digital payment collaboration to boost trade and tourism, discussing trade diversification and pharmacopoeia standards.

“India and South East Asian nation Cambodia are negotiating collaboration in Unified Payment Interface-based (UPI) digital payment to promote trade and tourism,” the Commerce Ministry said on June 20.

Both sides also deliberated upon diversification of the trade basket by identifying new products, bilateral investment treaty, recognition of Indian pharmacopoeia and collaboration in the pharma sector.

These issues among others were discussed during the second meeting of the India-Cambodia Joint Working Group on Trade and Investment (JWGTI), in New Delhi on June 19.

Pharmacopoeia is a set of standards and quality specifications for ingredients, preparation and dosage forms of medicines manufactured, sold, consumed and exported in a country.

Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) is an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare which sets standards for all drugs that are manufactured, sold and consumed in India.

"The meeting discussed the progress of the ongoing efforts for collaboration in UPI-based digital payment to promote trade and tourism," it said in a statement. India has already collaborated with countries like the UAE on UPI.

The meeting was co-chaired by Joint Secretary in the Department of Commerce Siddharth Mahajan and Director General for International Trade in the Cambodian Ministry of Commerce Long Kemvichet.