Special CCIFC Rendez-Vous Spotlights 20th Francophonie Summit in Phnom Penh

Gathered Wednesday evening at the Raffles Hotel Le Royal, around fifty business leaders and institutional representatives attended a special edition of the Rendez-vous de la Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie France Cambodge, entirely dedicated to the 20th Francophonie Summit, to be held in Phnom Penh on November 15 and 16.

From left to right: Bonira Chan, Director of Francophonie at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and His Excellency Makara Khov, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications

In the salons of the Raffles Hotel Le Royal, the Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie France Cambodge (CCIFC) brought together around fifty participants on Wednesday evening for an information and networking evening: that of economic actors and the architects of a major global political summit.

A few months before the 20th Francophonie Summit—scheduled for November 15 and 16 in Phnom Penh—the event served as a window for information and dialogue between the Francophone business community established in Cambodia and the senior officials in charge of organizing this diplomatic gathering.

An honor thirty years after Hanoi

It was Bonira Chan, Director of Francophonie at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, who opened the discussions by recalling the profound meaning of this event for the kingdom.

«Cambodia is one of the founding countries of the Francophonie, through His Majesty King Norodom Sihanouk,» he emphasized, tracing an commitment that dates back to the very creation of the international organization.

The last summit organized in Asia was in 1997 in Hanoi, so Cambodia's candidacy holds particular symbolic value. A full member since 1993, Cambodia succeeded in convincing the 90 member states and governments of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) to award Phnom Penh the hosting of this 20th edition—a summit all the more strategic as it will be elective: a new Secretary General will be designated.

Mr. Chan highlighted the summit’s considerable diplomatic ambitions: between 40 and 45 heads of state and government are expected in Phnom Penh, including the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, who will make a state visit to Cambodia following the summit. This attendance will place Phnom Penh, for a few days in November, at the center of the international Francophone stage.

FrancoTech, a showcase for Francophone innovation in Asia

His Excellency Makara Khov, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, then presented FrancoTech, an economic event organized on the sidelines of the political summit. This event, only its second worldwide edition after Paris in 2024, aims to make Cambodia a «gateway» for Francophone investors seeking access to Southeast Asian markets.

The stated ambitions are significant: the Cambodian team is targeting 5,000 visitors and 110 stands. The program includes national pavilions, company showcases, startup zones, seven thematic sessions—including two dedicated to artificial intelligence and digital governance—as well as two innovation competitions. The first, called «InnoVate,» will reward digital innovation; the second will honor female entrepreneurship across all Francophonie member countries.

FrancoTech’s opening is scheduled for November 14, the eve of the political summit, in the presence of President Macron, the Cambodian Prime Minister, and several heads of state. Practical and official information will be published after May 13, the date of the next meeting of the national summit preparation committee.

CCIFC at the heart of the parallel economic organization

Pascal Catry, President of the Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie France Cambodge, took care to clarify the CCIFC’s role in this overall setup. While the institution cannot offer its members direct participation in the political summit—reserved for heads of government—it is co-organizing the Francophone Entrepreneurs’ Meeting (REF), an event focused on B2B exchanges between business leaders from the entire Francophone sphere.

Pascal Catry made a point of providing a complete overview of the events in which CCIFC members can participate. In addition to FrancoTech and the Francophone Entrepreneurs’ Meeting, he mentioned the Francophonie Village—a week-long public event highlighting craftsmanship, gastronomy, and the culture of Cambodia and participating countries—as well as the Business Forum co-organized by the CCIFC itself.

«They should focus on the sidelines, on the side events,» he summed up, encouraging his members to seize these multiple entry points.

The organizational challenge remains significant: to coordinate everything coherently so that a visitor present for four days can move between several events. «It’s still just a draft for now,» he acknowledged—a sign that the final calendar of parallel events is still taking shape, a few months from the deadline.

In total, the organizers are expecting more than 200,000 participants in all parallel events—Francophonie Village, FrancoTech, and REF—during the summit period, in addition to official delegations. This does not include the France-Cambodia Economic Summit that will follow the main summit.

A Francophone economic cooperation office, desired by the Cambodian government as one of the summit’s concrete deliverables, is also expected to be established to facilitate the welcome of new investors, particularly from the African continent and Canada.

Bonira Chan also emphasized the roadmap set by Phnom Penh: this summit must not be just a prestige event, but produce tangible results. The creation of this Francophone economic cooperation office fits into a broader vision, driven by the current OIF Secretary General’s mandate, which has reoriented the institution toward the digital economy, youth, and culture. Cambodia intends to embody this new ambition and position itself as the Francophone bridgehead in Southeast Asia.

He also recalled the progress made since a first Francophone mission conducted four years ago, upon his return from his ambassadorship in Paris, which helped revive the Francophone business community in Cambodia.

«It gives us wings, a bit of courage to aim bigger,» he had said then—a phrase that resonates this evening like an accomplished program.

The evening continued with a cocktail dinner. The more informal exchanges allowed the some fifty participants to reconnect, discuss the summit, and turn the curiosity sparked by the presentations into concrete first contacts. An atmosphere that gave a preview of what the November events will be: spaces and as many encounters.