France & Cambodia: Roundtable discussion with the Cambodian Journalists Club

Yesterday, the French Embassy hosted a roundtable discussion with around 30 local journalists to discuss relations between France and Cambodia. The French ambassador described the meeting as essential in light of the changes and threats facing the press in today's world.

Roundtable discussion with the Cambodian Journalists Club

A dynamic partnership

According to Ambassador Pellet, relations between France and Cambodia have been gaining momentum since the end of 2022, with several high-level visits. A roadmap is currently being negotiated to deepen the partnership in key areas such as governance and human rights, energy, the French-speaking world, and heritage, with a view to raising the level of relations.

This trend is set to continue with the planned visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Cambodia in 2026 for the Francophonie Summit.

The two countries hold annual political consultations, which provide an opportunity to take stock of their relations and reaffirm their shared commitment to multilateralism, international law and global issues.

France is also strengthening its multilateral dialogue, with Cambodia's participation in the “Action for AI” and “Nutrition for Growth” summits in France. This work will continue in June on the theme of oceans, with Prime Minister Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet visiting France for the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice (UNOC3, June 9-13).

“Our activities in Cambodia are intended to be constructive and useful for the country. Our cooperation is very intensive and covers several key areas.”

International solidarity partnership

According to the ambassador, the approach is based on solidarity and sustainable partnerships, promoting more shared prosperity and a safer, more resilient world that is better equipped to face ecological challenges.

In Cambodia, the French team works mainly through the French Development Agency (AFD). Present in Cambodia for over 30 years, it is a major player in the country's sustainable and resilient development, with total funding of over €1.5 billion and a record amount of sovereign loans in 2024 of €215 million. The projects underway in 2025 mainly concern the water management, agriculture and energy sectors, again in partnership with Cambodian institutions to meet their needs:

• The third phase of the Bakheng project (€200 million loan), which aims to ensure 100% access to drinking water for the inhabitants of Phnom Penh by 2030

• The Svay Check project with MAFF and MOWRAM, which aims to strengthen climate resilience, improve access to water for agriculture and restore degraded river ecosystems through a €91 million loan

• The sustainable marine and coastal fisheries project, in partnership with MAFF and the Asian Development Bank, aimed at strengthening climate resilience and productivity in Cambodia's coastal and marine sector, supported by USD 20 million from AFD

• The Wat4Cam project, with MOWRAM and MAFF, to improve water resource management by taking into account the impacts of climate events and supporting the agro-ecological transition and the development of irrigated areas. It is supported by a €75 million sovereign loan from AFD and an €11.8 million grant from the EU

• The Rid4Cam project with the Ministry of Rural Development, which will rehabilitate 550 kilometers of rural roads and develop climate-resilient infrastructure in the drinking water and sanitation, agriculture, health, and education sectors, through a EUR 75 million sovereign loan from AFD, supplemented by German (€30 million from KfW, €100,000 from BMZ) and European (€8.7 million) funding.

• The project to modernize Cambodia's electricity transmission and distribution network, which supports EDC's digital transformation to improve the efficiency of its transmission and distribution network, through a €25 million sovereign loan, supplemented by €4.1 million in co-financing from the European Union.

• The ACSEP project, in partnership with the MAFF, which supports the development of Cambodian agriculture on national and international markets by strengthening the competitiveness of five strategic sectors and improving health safety throughout the value chains (loan of EUR 25 million).

Francophonie

France supports the teaching of French in Cambodia. 25,000 Cambodian students are learning French in public schools, including 3,000 in 16 bilingual schools across the country. In addition, the French Institute in Cambodia (IFC) had 10,000 students enrolled in French courses in 2024, an increase of 30% compared to 2023.

For the past two years, the French Embassy in Cambodia has been piloting a project to support French language teaching in Cambodian public middle and high schools, which has given nearly 350 teachers the opportunity to receive training in France, as well as in the Asia-Pacific region and Cambodia. This project will be ramped up in 2025-2026 with a €1 million fund dedicated to promoting French in the run-up to the 2026 Francophonie Summit.

Heritage

France is a long-standing partner in the field of heritage, notably through the historic work of the French School of the Far East. Since 1993, France has invested more than €56 million. This trusted cooperation is based on a multilateral commitment with the co-chairmanship of the CIC-Angkor Sambor Prei Kuk for 30 years, co-management with APSARA of the restoration of the Western Mebon temple (€6 million since 2012) and projects in Phnom Penh: a study on the renovation and extension of the National Museum and a study on the revitalization of the architectural and urban heritage of downtown Phnom Penh with the city of Paris.

The recent inauguration of a unique exhibition of Khmer bronzes at the Guimet Museum in Paris, including the statue of the reclining Vishnu, produced in partnership with the National Museum of Cambodia, illustrates this excellent cooperation.

Cultural exchanges

Cultural cooperation is a key focus of our cooperation, based on the deep ties between the peoples of our two countries, which are also evident in the Franco-Cambodian diaspora. The French Institute in Cambodia welcomes more than 100,000 visitors a year and runs several programs to support local cultural and creative industries, including the “Chakto” project to train young professionals in comics, film, music, and dance. The IFC promotes cultural exchanges, such as with the Villa Marguerite Duras, an artist residency for writers.

Health

A key focus of this partnership for over 30 years, this cooperation is based on an approach combining research, training, institutional support, and sustainable financing. It draws on leading organizations (Institut Pasteur, IRD, CIRAD, ANRS MIE), which host many French researchers and experts and provide extensive support for medical training: more than 1,200 Cambodian students have been trained in France through the DFMS/DFMSA program. In 2024-2025, 130 new students will be trained in French hospitals.

France provides significant financial support for research and inter-hospital support, notably with the Calmette Hospital.

We also stand alongside Cambodia through our global health policy. France is the second largest contributor to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, with $87 million allocated to Cambodia for the 2024-2026 cycle.

The French mechanism “L'Initiative” complements this commitment by providing tailored responses to community needs.

Finally, France supports the “One Health” approach, which combines human health, animal health and ecosystem health. This is a shared priority for France and Cambodia to better prevent pandemics (research and training projects, deployment of French experts). For the past 10 years, AFD has supported the ECOMORE research programs, a regional network of expertise on One Health in Southeast Asia, and, as part of the international PREZODE initiative, it is financing the AFRICAM project on integrating prevention, surveillance, early detection, and rapid response to animal pandemic risks.

People-to-people exchanges: student mobility and volunteering

France encourages young Cambodians to consider studying in France to enrich their academic and professional backgrounds, as 1,200 students have done since 2014. In addition, the Embassy has an ambitious scholarship program, including scholarships co-financed with Cambodian academic institutions. By 2025, nearly 60 “France Excellence” scholarships will be awarded. More than 170 Cambodian scholarship students are currently pursuing their studies in France, out of a total of 800 Cambodian students.

Implemented by France Volontaires, volunteering enables young people and professionals to engage in missions of general interest, thereby promoting bilateral cooperation and sustainable development. Cambodia is the leading host country in Asia and the second in the world, with 223 volunteers in 2024 in the fields of Francophonie, health, and education.

We support the growth of cross-mobility: 33 Cambodian volunteers have carried out missions in France since 2016.

Defense cooperation

Defense cooperation has been strengthened in recent years. It includes French language training in the military (200 officers, officer cadets and military medical students trained this year), officer training (support for the Thmat Paung Cadet School and enrollment of several Cambodian officers each year in training courses in France) and the preparation of Cambodian peacekeepers before their deployment in peacekeeping operations, in partnership with the NPMEC (two to three expert missions from France per year).

Economic exchanges

In economic terms, bilateral trade grew by 8.3% in 2024 and amounted to €1.48 billion in 2024. It is largely in deficit for France (trade deficit of €1.23 billion). Net direct investment flows from France increased slightly (€12 million at the end of 2023).

France has a significant economic presence with a network of 400 French and Franco-Cambodian entrepreneurs who are founders or managers of companies incorporated under Cambodian law, as well as several large groups such as Total Energies, Vinci, and Accor. French companies operating in Cambodia play a role in the development of various sectors of the economy (construction, energy, finance, health, and tourism in particular) and promote models of social and environmental responsibility.

A France-Cambodia business forum, the latest edition of which was held in July 2024, is held every two years to strengthen exchanges.