PM looks to counter OPEC, push rice-exporting power

Cambodia will push to finalise a rice-exporting bloc with four other regional countries by the end of the year in a bid to become the world’s “food basket”, according to the Ministry of Commerce. The group of countries including Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos and Myanmar – and known as the Association of Milled Rice Exporting Countries – would also look to become a counterbalance to Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). … Hun Sen has theorised that the rice-exporting power of such a bloc could become a bargaining chip in negotiations with OPEC…

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2012071957506/Business/pm-looks-to-counter-opec.html