Cambodian Scholar: Francophonie Summit Offers Opportunities for Vietnam-Cambodia Cooperation

Vietnam’s General Secretary and President Tô Lâm plans to visit Cambodia from November 14 to 16, 2026, to attend the 20th Francophonie Summit. Cambodian scholar Phean Makara told the Vietnam News Agency that the summit offers Vietnam and Cambodia an opportunity to strengthen exchanges and expand cooperation.

Cambodian scholar Phean Makara speaks to the Vietnam News Agency in Cambodia.（VietVance）

Phean Makara believes the summit and related events could help Cambodia expand its diplomatic ties, attract investment through business forums and open up export markets. He also believes cultural activities and academic exchanges could create opportunities for Cambodia to promote its tourism resources and pursue scientific research and student exchanges. These are assessments of the summit’s potential effects.

Discussing Vietnam-Cambodia cooperation, he said businesses and investors from both countries could use forums such as FrancoTech during the summit to explore cooperation in digital technology, innovation and supply chains. The two sides could also jointly promote tourism products and strengthen educational ties through scholarships, joint research and French-language training. He proposed that the countries explore shared trade channels to African and European markets.

Phean Makara believes Vietnam’s strengths in processing industries and technology could complement Cambodia’s agricultural and raw material resources. Free trade agreements signed by Vietnam, including the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, together with trade preferences available to Cambodia, could give jointly exported products a competitive advantage. He also proposed exploring cooperation in agricultural technology, financial technology and digital transformation.

Source: VietVance