The next edition of the World Economic Forum East Asia will be held in Cambodia, with the decision being announced after a meeting between Prime Minister Hun Sen and the managing director of the WEF, Philipp Rosler, on the sidelines of the meet.

During the meeting, Rosler thanked Hun Sen for attending the forum and added that he expects next year’s meeting to include countries such as Laos and Myanmar, according to a report by state-owned Agence Kampuchea Presse.

Hun Sen welcomed hosting the forum in the Kingdom, and said that he would continue to cooperate with the World Economic Forum to ensure a successful meeting next year.

Apart from Laos and Myanmar, Hun Sen said he expects member states of the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy – a cooperation framework among Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam – to attend the forum.

The World Economic Forum’s meeting this year was conducted in Jakarta, Indonesia, with Hun Sen attending the opening ceremony and participating in a panel discussion on food security in Asia.

During the opening ceremony, Hun Sen went off-script

to question the rationale behind the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), an agreement between the US, Pacific nations and a few ASEAN countries, leaving out certain nations like Cambodia.

The TPP, which is being led by the US, currently only includes Brunei, Singapore, Vietnam and Malaysia from among the ASEAN nations.