The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation stated that the closure of the Swedish embassy’s section office in Phnom Penh, set to take effect at the end of September, should not be interpreted as a political decision.
In a September 16 press release, a ministry spokesperson noted that in March of this year, the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs informed the Cambodian foreign ministry of the planned closure of the office, effective from September 30.
The Swedish government’s decision was part of a reprioritisation effort aimed at focusing on economic development, peace and security in neighbouring countries in response to the global paradigm shift caused by the Russia-Ukraine war, the statement said.
“As stated above, the spokesperson of the [foreign ministry] would like to reject any attempts to interpret the case of the closure of the Sweden Section Office in Phnom Penh for political purposes,” it said.
On September 16, the embassy posted on social media that the decision to close the office was made by the Swedish government as part of its plan to phase out bilateral development cooperation with Cambodia. It said that Sweden’s embassy in Bangkok would continue to represent the country in Cambodia.
Additionally, the management of support to Cambodia under the regional strategy for development cooperation with Asia and the Pacific was transferred to the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) in Stockholm as of August 16.
In fact, the embassy announced its intention to close the office more than four years ago, in June 2020, with an initial plan to do so by 2021. The announcement raised concerns among some NGOs working in the human rights sector, who requested that the Sweden appoint a political and human rights officer in Cambodia.
In April 2022, Sweden officially launched an honorary consulate in Phnom Penh.
The embassy’s September 16 statement added that the Consulate of Sweden in Phnom Penh will remain open and continue to provide basic consular services for Swedish citizens.
In a follow-up statement released on the morning of September 17, the ministry spokesperson noted that while the section office of the Swedish embassy will close, other missions have opened, such as the Turkish embassy in April 2023, the Australian Trade and Investment Commission in January and the Consulate of Canada in Siem Reap province in February.
Yang Peou, secretary-general of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, expressed regret over Sweden’s decision. He also voiced disappointment that the closure has been linked to political, human rights and democracy issues.
“I believe the closure is due to an internal decision by the Swedish government, based on the level of cooperation between Sweden and Cambodia, as well as other factors like the global crisis,” he said.