King Norodom Sihamoni in France for the 19th Francophonie Summit in Paris

At the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, King Norodom Sihamoni left Cambodia on Tuesday 1 October to attend the nineteenth Francophonie Summit in Villers-Cotterêts and Paris, to be held from 4 to 5 October 2024.

Emmanuel Macron and Norodom Sihamoni during the monarch's visit in late 2023. Photo AKP

According to a press release from the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the monarch will deliver a closing speech at the summit alongside President Macron and the Secretary General of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie.

For the South-East Asia region, Vietnam and Cambodia will be taking part in the initial two-year implementation phase of the pilot project now known as ‘Destination EcoTalents’.

These two countries also benefit from the support of the OIF through the ‘La Francophonie avec Elles’ fund, set up at the instigation of the Secretary General, Louise Mushikiwabo, via eight projects (five in Vietnam and three in Cambodia), the aim of which is to strengthen the economic empowerment of girls and vulnerable women.

During his stay in Paris, the King will be received by President Macron and they are expected to exchange views on the longstanding friendship between Cambodia and France.

Under the theme ‘Creating, innovating and doing business in French’, the Summit will be an opportunity for the Heads of State and Government to discuss solutions to a number of common challenges, such as youth employment in French-speaking countries and territories. One of the objectives of the Summit is also to ‘create a favourable climate for economic development while respecting the freedom of creation and enterprise’. According to the ministry, the aim is also to revitalise multilateralism, including through Francophone institutions