Phnom Penh, The Europe Today: The 20th Francophonie Summit opened in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Sunday morning. Leaders and representatives of nearly 90 countries came together, including 25 heads of state and government, along with representatives of Francophone institutions and international and regional organisations.
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee and President Tô Lâm led a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation to the opening session. His presence made Việt Nam one of the most visible Asian participants at the gathering.
A Royal Welcome for World Leaders
Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, Prime Minister Hun Manet and his spouse, and Louise Mushikiwabo, Secretary-General of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF), presided over the official welcome ceremony.
Francophonie Summit Theme: “Reinvest in Peace for Shared Prosperity and Sustainable Stability”
In her opening remarks, Mushikiwabo stressed how relevant the summit’s theme is at a time of fast-changing and increasingly complex global developments.
She said the Francophone community must strengthen its role and responsibilities. In her view, it should be more than a shared space for language and culture: it should also be a platform for dialogue, trust, solidarity and cooperation among countries. That, she said, would allow it to contribute in practical ways to international efforts to prevent and resolve conflicts, keep the peace, and build the foundations for sustainable development and shared prosperity.
Mushikiwabo also outlined efforts to boost economic cooperation and labour market integration. These include an information portal for Francophone youth, to be launched from 2027.
Francophonie Returns to Asia-Pacific
King Norodom Sihamoni said Cambodia was honoured to host the summit, which brings the gathering back to the Asia-Pacific region for the first time since the 7th Francophonie Summit in Hà Nội. He urged member countries to turn their political commitments into concrete action to promote dialogue and cooperation.
Hun Manet Unveils Three Game-Changing Initiatives
Prime Minister Hun Manet reaffirmed Cambodia’s strong commitment to the shared goals and values of La Francophonie and proposed three concrete initiatives:
A Francophone network for conflict prevention and mediation
A Francophone artificial intelligence (AI) programme to connect universities
A Francophone Economic Cooperation Centre in Phnom Penh to link businesses and investors across the Francophone community
Macron Calls for Stronger Solidarity
French President Emmanuel Macron highlighted the Francophone community’s role in promoting dialogue and reconciliation, cultural diversity and people-to-people exchanges.
He called for stronger solidarity and more consensus-building among member countries. He also urged wider cooperation in education and training, innovation, trade, investment and business across the Francophone world.
Việt Nam’s Commitment on Display
The OIF is a major international cooperation grouping of 90 members and observers, including Việt Nam.
Tô Lâm’s attendance reaffirms Việt Nam’s consistent commitment to the Francophone community. It also reflects the country’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, self-strengthening, multilateralisation and diversification of external relations, and proactive international integration, in line with the spirit of the 14th National Party Congress.
Why It Matters
With concrete proposals on mediation, AI and economic cooperation, the Phnom Penh gathering signals that La Francophonie wants to be more than a cultural club. It is aiming to become a practical force for peace, innovation and prosperity at a time of global uncertainty.
