Prime Minister Hun Manet’s first official visit to Europe was widely regarded as a “diplomatic success”, with Cambodia and France upgrading their ties to that of a strategic partnership and complimenting one another on various issues.

Manet was recently in two European countries: France, where he met with President Emmanuel Macron to discuss bilateral ties, and Switzerland, where he attended various meetings on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.

Following Manet’s return to the Kingdom on January 20, the Government Spokesperson Unit (RGSU) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, as well as several senior government officials, spoke highly of his efforts, referring to the diplomatic mission as a success and a “historic chapter” in the long historical friendship between Cambodia and France.

“Cambodia and France both expressed their satisfaction with the fruitful outcomes of cooperation in all sectors, particularly in terms of politics, the economy, culture, language and energy transition. Both sides agreed to lift the relation to that of a strategic partnership, in order to make their bilateral ties more comprehensive,” said the RGSU in a statement.

It added that Macron shared his appreciation for Cambodia’s contributions to UN peacekeeping missions, its position against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, as well as its multilateralism and international cooperation for regional and global stability and prosperity.

It said France committed to providing development aid of €200 million ($217million) through French development agency AFD, with a focus on vocational training, energy and waste water treatment.

According to the RGSU, Macron and Manet also stressed the need to double down on investment and trade between the two countries.

During a joint press conference on January 18, Macron described Manet’s visit as another chapter in the unwavering friendship between the two nations. Manet also thanked France for its role in the Kingdom’s peace and development.

“Cambodia will always remember the role of France as the founder and co-chair of the Paris Conference on Cambodia which led to the Paris Peace Agreements of 1991. This was France’s contribution to Cambodia’s recovery and economic development, as well as the support of the AFD,” he said.

A separate outcome statement released by Cambodia’s foreign ministry noted that Manet’s visit to France and the upgrading of ties to a strategic partnership had not happened by chance.

“They are testament to the historic close relations between France and Cambodia. Their shared history goes back more than 180 years,” it said.

According to the ministry, Manet also attended a business forum, where he met with 110 representatives from private firms, 80 of them French companies and the remaining 30 based in Cambodia. The meeting was intended to promote business, investment and trade opportunities in the Kingdom.

Manet also held individual meetings with 11 large French corporations, including VINCI Airports, hospitality giant ACCOR, rolling stock manufacturer Alstom, and Electricite de France.

Jean Francois Tain, minister delegate attached to the Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, explained that since 1991, France has been Cambodia’s closest friend in Europe.

He expressed belief that thanks to Manet’s visit, the two sides are now entering a new stage in their relationship.

He noted that Manet had received the great honour of being welcomed by France’s top four leaders: President Macron, National Assembly president Yael Braun-Pivet, Senate president Gerard Larcher and newly minted French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal.

Tain suggested that the visit resulted in a “common position” that had not been reached in the past three decades.

Prime Minister Hun Manet (left) shakes hands with new French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal on January 19. STPM

He spotlighted some of the common positions the two countries share, including on the situation in Ukraine, the strengthening of bilateral and ASEAN-France ties, and the promotion of multilateralism and peace, among others.

“Cambodia and France unanimously agreed to upgrade their ties to a ‘strategic partnership’, meaning that both sides will actively increase their cooperation. This will lead to closer relations and more exchanges of visits between top leaders,” he said.

“Manet requested Macron to establish a regional French cultural centre in Cambodia. His intention is for Cambodia to act as cultural bridge between France and the ASEAN member nations. The French president agreed to the request,” he added.

Tain said another major outcome of the visit is an agreement on energy transition, noting that both countries are working to deal with global warming, climate change and poverty reduction. He said both countries agreed to strengthen cooperation on effective energy policies and to push for the maximum use of renewable energy.

On the economic front, he has the impression that both countries will solidify their cooperation by increasing investment and trade. During his visit, he elaborated, Manet not only met with political leaders but many major French companies, as well as company representatives from other European nations.

“Investors view Cambodia as a potential international trade partner, equal to other countries. Although Cambodia still needs development aid, it is rapidly becoming a desirable investment location,” Tain said.

“Gradually, Cambodia is becoming a serious trade partner. Foreigners who came to Cambodia 10 years ago would be surprised to return and see how fast the country has developed. Cambodia achieved the highest economic growth in ASEAN in 2023,” he added.

Kin Phea, director of the Royal Academy of Cambodia’s International Relations Institute, said relations between the Kingdom and France have shown remarkable progress. He was of the firm belief that Manet’s visit to Paris has added value to the relationship.

“The commitment by the leaders of the two countries to upgrade the ties to a strategic partnership is an excellent opportunity for Cambodia, in terms of politics, trade, tourism, culture, and people-to-people relations,” he explained.

He said France is the first European or Western bloc country with which Cambodia has reached such a level of ties.

He believes that the ties would enable economic, political and culture diplomacy with other Western nations to grow deeper.

He suggested that the ties could grow into a “comprehensive strategic partnership” in the future and would “clear some commentator’s unjust views that Cambodia is resolutely leaning towards China”.