Cambodia

French presence

Consular Section of the French Embassy in Phnom Penh.

About 8,000 French people live in Cambodia (nearly 5,000 French people registered).

Presence of a French consular agency with Honorary Consul in Siem Reap. 

Visits

After a pause due to the Covid-19 crisis, visits by members of the Cambodian government resumed, with a working visit by Prime Minister HUN Sen to Paris in December 2022, accompanied by a delegation of several ministers (including the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation). The King of Cambodia, His Majesty Norodom Sihamoni, made an official visit to France in November 2023, and visited Villers-Cotterêts in October 2024 for the 14th Francophonie Summit. Prime Minister Hun Manet made an official visit in January 2024, his first outside Asia and went to Nice for UNOC 3 in June 2025 where he met with the President of the Republic. Finally, Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Prak Sokhonn met his counterpart on the sidelines of UNOC in June 2025 and had a call with him in the context of the conflict with Thailand on 23 December 2025. The last French political visit to Cambodia is that of the Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade, Attractiveness and French Abroad Olivier Becht in January 2023. The President of the Republic will make a state visit to the Kingdom in November 2026 on the occasion of the 10th Summit for La Francophonie, which is held in Siem Reap (Angkor). 

Academic, scientific and cultural cooperation

Bilateral academic and scientific cooperation is organized around agriculture, health, law, and engineering sciences. Student mobility is an essential part of this cooperation, France being the sixth destination for Cambodian students. Every year about 150 new Cambodian students go to France to train (half of them in medical specialties) and nearly 800 Cambodian students are currently in France for their studies. France is also present in Cambodia through its research institutions (ANRS, IRD, CIRAD, EFEO).

The Francophonie is a major element of the relationship with Cambodia, of which 3% of the population is Francophone. The French Lycée René Descartes in Phnom Penh is contracted with the Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE). The French Institute of Cambodia plays a central role in the field of cultural cooperation and the Francophonie. Each year, its language centre welcomes more than 4,000 students. It has also positioned itself as a leading participant in continuing education in French as a foreign language pedagogy.

The important cooperation in the field of heritage was illustrated by the co-chairmanship, with Japan, of the International Coordinating Committee (ICC) for the safeguarding and development of the historic site of Angkor founded in 1993, of which France co-chairs jointly with Japan. France has carried out major restoration projects at the Angkor site, coupled with a significant training component in all fields of heritage professions, with more than 700 beneficiaries, with a contribution of €22 million from the Ministry. After the restoration of the Royal Terrasses and then that of the Baphuon Temple from 1995 to 2011 led by the French School of the Far East (EFEO), the ministry committed in 2012, at the request of the Cambodian authorities and in partnership with Apsara (Cambodian Heritage Protection Agency), to the restoration of the Temple of Western Mebon (€6 million). An ETI is also available for Apsara until 2026.

The AFD Group, present in Cambodia since 1993, has committed more than €1.3 billion (of which €328 million for PROPARCO), particularly in the infrastructure sectors (water, sanitation, energy), agriculture, vocational training and financial intermediation. AFD is now the leading European financial partner in Cambodia.

This page has been automatically translated using artificial intelligence. In case of discrepancy, the French version shall prevail.