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France and Cambodia purpose to strengthen commerce and funding ties following a pointy enhance in bilateral commerce, with French Minister Delegate Nicolas Forissier saying Friday that the 2 international locations are getting ready for a brand new part of financial cooperation forward of President Emmanuel Macron’s deliberate go to in November.
Forissier advised a press convention on the French Embassy that his go to comes amid a collection of high-level conferences to deepen relations with Cambodia and develop cooperation and funding in a number of sectors.
French firms already play a major position in Cambodia’s financial growth, notably in transport, power, finance, well being care, tourism and building, he mentioned. “I consider this cooperation is a win-win technique and displays France’s dedication to advancing our financial partnership.”
Bilateral commerce between Cambodia and France reached 1.75 billion euros ($2.05 billion) in 2025, up 17.5% from 2024, whereas overseas direct funding in Cambodia rose 25% year-on-year to 692 million euros ($810 million) as of December 31, 2024.
“We should proceed to do higher as a result of this relationship is essential for each France and Cambodia,” he mentioned. “France continues to import Cambodian rice and bicycles, whereas exporting plane merchandise, agro-industrial items and prescribed drugs.”
On Wednesday, Forissier met Mines and Power Minister Keo Rottanak to debate an 800-megawatt hydropower mission valued at $1.2 billion, and a waste-to-energy mission in Phnom Penh.
France is anticipated to conduct detailed research earlier than making funding choices, Forisier mentioned concerning the power tasks, including that his nation would contribute expertise and technical experience to the tasks, with a probability of advancing that in Macron’s go to.
Presently, French-backed renewable power tasks account for about 7% of Cambodia’s renewable power portfolio and embrace a number of main initiatives.
He and Rottanak additionally mentioned cooperation within the oil and fuel sector and reaffirmed assist to resolve the Cambodia-Thailand overlapping claims space dispute by means of peaceable means and worldwide regulation.
As well as, he mentioned, France helps integrating human rights into worldwide commerce and that French firms are dedicated to adjust to worldwide requirements on human rights, environmental safety and social accountability.
“France is dedicated to supporting initiatives that promote respect for human rights in commerce, which is without doubt one of the United Nations’ basic ideas,” he mentioned.
Meas Sok Sensan, spokesperson for the Ministry of Financial system and Finance, mentioned Forissier’s go to additional strengthened financial cooperation between the nations in commerce and funding.
The go to creates new alternatives for cooperation between authorities companies and the non-public sector, identifies new investments, expands the presence of French firms in Cambodia and helps to construct long-term partnerships in high-potential sectors.
Sok Sensan mentioned the federal government is constant to enhance the enterprise and funding local weather by streamlining procedures, strengthening authorized and regulatory frameworks, and selling transparency to make it simpler for traders to do enterprise.
“The federal government’s technique shouldn’t be solely about growing commerce quantity however to additionally entice funding in manufacturing, expertise, high-value industries, agricultural processing, human useful resource growth and expertise switch,” he mentioned.
Ky Sereyvath, an financial analyst with the Royal Academy of Cambodia, mentioned the go to is a chance to discover cooperation within the oil sector whereas strengthening financial hyperlinks with France and inspiring extra French firms to spend money on Cambodia.
It might pave the way in which for extra funding alternatives and the broader European market, he added.
Commerce between Cambodia and France reached $322 million within the first half of 2026, up practically 13% from the identical interval in 2025. Exports to France grew 13.5% to just about $260 million, whereas imports from France reached $63.7 million, up 10.5% year-on-year.
