Cambodia's first National Book Fair kicked off in Phnom Penh on Friday, aiming to promote book publishing and reading among students, organizers and officials said.

The three-day event, held at the National Library of Cambodia, brought together 23 libraries, bookstores and book publishers with tens of thousands of books on display, Hok Sothik, president of the Cambodian Librarians Association, said at the opening ceremony.

"Our goal is to encourage young generations to love reading and writing," he said. "We do hope that the event will stimulate writers to write more books for educational purposes."

Culture Minister Phoeung Sakona said the book publishing sector has rapidly developed in the last five years, adding that currently, there are 561 book writers and publishers.

"The fair is a very important event for students to look for books they like and for writers to meet and exchange their experiences," she said. "On this occasion, I'd like to appeal to students to spend more time reading books in order to improve their knowledge."

The first day of the fair has attracted hundreds of students from various schools and universities in Phnom Penh.

"I like reading books since I was a child," said Kha Seakmey, a student at the National University of Management. "The fair is a good time for me to find books that I like."

"It would be good if such event is held every year," she said.

Moeun Veasna, a management student at the Cambodian University of Specialties, said the fair was important for learners to find books relating to their studying subjects.

"This event brings together books from various bookstores in Phnom Penh and a lot of books pertinent to my skill are on display, " he said.