Paris, Nov 9 (IANS) French President Emmanuel Macron will pay a state visit to Cambodia from November 14 to 16, following an invitation from Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation announced on Monday.
The visit will coincide with Macron’s participation in the 20th Francophonie Summit in Phnom Penh.
During his stay, Macron will have an audience with King Sihamoni at the Royal Palace. He is also scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with Senate President Samdech Techo Hun Sen and Prime Minister Hun Manet, Xinhua News Agency reported.
“Several agreements and cooperation documents spanning economy, investment, culture, and defense will be signed during the visit,” the ministry said in a press release. “These pacts will inject fresh impetus into our traditional bonds of friendship, opening a new chapter in Cambodia-France relations and mutually beneficial cooperation.”
Additionally, Macron will join King Sihamoni in Siem Reap province to preside over the closing ceremony of the renovation project at the ancient Western Mebon Temple, located within the Angkor Archaeological Park.
Macron’s upcoming visit will be the first state visit by a French president to Cambodia since Francois Mitterrand in 1993, the press release said.
France and Cambodia have a special relationship due to their shared history, Francophonie and France’s role in furthering development in Cambodia following the 1991 Paris agreements. The Cambodian community in France also helps maintain these links.
France publicly regretted that the Cambodian elections of 2018 and 2023 took place in the absence of a credible opposition and called on the Cambodian authorities to re-enter a democratic process and allow the opposition, media and civil society to function unhindered, according to French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs statement.
France has also called for dialogue between the two parties and respect for international law on numerous occasions during the various stages of the conflict between Cambodia and Thailand between July and December 2025.
–IANS
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