AKP Phnom Penh, September 11, 2025 -- H.E. PRAK Sokhonn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, received here on Sept. 10 a courtesy call by H.E. Olivier RICHARD, newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the French Republic to the Kingdom of Cambodia.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, during the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister PRAK Sokhonn warmly welcomed Ambassador Olivier Richard in his new capacity and expressed deep appreciation for the long-standing friendship between Cambodia and France, a partnership anchored in shared history and mutual trust. 

He underlined the Ministry's strong commitment to working closely with the Ambassador to further consolidate and expand bilateral cooperation, building upon the achievements of his predecessors.

Both sides highlighted the remarkable progress in high-level engagements, including the recent fruitful discussions between Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia and H.E. Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, on the sidelines of the Third UN Ocean Conference in Nice earlier this year. These exchanges notably reaffirmed Cambodia's strong commitment to signing and ratifying the BBNJ Agreement, as well as its endorsement of the "Nice Wake-Up Call for an Ambitious Plastics Treaty". They also welcomed progress in reviewing a roadmap to elevate bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership and looked forward to the convening of the 3rd Session of Bilateral Political Consultations in Phnom Penh in late 2025.

On economic cooperation, Deputy Prime Minister PRAK Sokhonn expressed gratitude for France's sustained support to Cambodia's socio-economic development, particularly through the Agence Française de Développement (AFD). He also welcomed the upcoming visit of the MEDEF International delegation to Cambodia, commended MEDEF for its active role in supporting French businesses in Cambodia and encouraged further investments in priority areas including renewable energy, sustainable infrastructure, agriculture, tourism, aviation, and the digital economy.

Both sides further discussed cooperation in culture, health, defence, and environment. 

Deputy Prime Minister PRAK Sokhonn also briefed Ambassador Richard on the current status of the Cambodia-Thailand border issues.

By C. Nika