Phnom penh: H.E. PRAK Sokhonn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, recently received a courtesy call from H.E. Olivier RICHARD, the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France to Cambodia.
According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, during their meeting, Deputy Prime Minister PRAK Sokhonn extended a warm welcome to Ambassador Richard in his new role and expressed deep appreciation for the enduring friendship between Cambodia and France, a partnership rooted in shared history and mutual trust. He emphasized the Ministry's commitment to collaborating closely with the Ambassador to further consolidate and expand bilateral cooperation, building on the achievements of previous diplomatic efforts.
Both parties acknowledged the significant progress in high-level engagements, including recent productive discussions between Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet, Prime Minister of Cambodia, and H.E. Emmanuel Macron, President of France, during the Third UN Ocean Conference in Nice earlier this year. These discussions reaffirmed Cambodia's commitment to signing and ratifying the BBNJ Agreement and its support for the "Nice Wake-Up Call for an Ambitious Plastics Treaty." They also welcomed progress in reviewing a roadmap to elevate bilateral relations to a Strategic Partnership and looked forward to the 3rd Session of Bilateral Political Consultations in Phnom Penh in late 2025.
On the economic front, Deputy Prime Minister PRAK Sokhonn expressed gratitude for France's continued support of Cambodia's socio-economic development, particularly through the Agence Fran§aise de D©veloppement (AFD). He also welcomed the upcoming visit of the MEDEF International delegation to Cambodia, praised MEDEF for its role in supporting French businesses in Cambodia, and encouraged further investments in areas such as renewable energy, sustainable infrastructure, agriculture, tourism, aviation, and the digital economy.
The two sides also discussed cooperation in culture, health, defense, and the environment. Deputy Prime Minister PRAK Sokhonn briefed Ambassador Richard on the current status of the Cambodia-Thailand border issues.