Thursday, June 23, 2011

French Prime Minister set to visit

Thursday, 23 June 2011
Cheang Sokha
The Phnom Penh Post

French Prime Minister Francois Fillion is set to pay an official visit to Cambodia early next month.

Fillion is due to attend an event to mark the completion of the restoration of Baphuon Temple, in Siem Reap, during a two-day visit, according to Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

A statement issued yesterday said Fillon’s visit was set to take place on July 2 and 3. During the visit, Fillon would hold official talks with Prime Minister Hun Sen and would received Royal audiences from King Norodom Sihamoni and King-Father Norodom Sihanouk.


Besides attending the closing ceremony of the completion of Baphuon Temple’s restoration, Fillion would also visit the Angkor temples, the statement said.

Earlier this year, French ambassador to Cambodia Christian Connan told The Post that the European country was placing an increased emphasis on investment and loans to help the Kingdom’s economic development, rather than assistance through development aid.

French development aid to Cambodia last year amounted to €25 million (about US$35 million), including multilateral aid to areas such as the Khmer Rouge tribunal, funding to fight disease, and economic development projects through organisations such as the Asian Development Bank.

In April this year, French relations received a boost when national airline Air France KLM restarted flights to the Kingdom – through Bangkok – after a 37-year break.

The French embassy in Phnom Penh and the French Cultural Centre declined to comment last night.

4 comments:

Khmer Circle said...

This visit could have something to do with off-shore oil exploration deal.

France sold those French-made Caesar weapons to Thailand which are equipped to launch cluster bombs, allowing the Thai military to bombard Cambodian military positions with these internationally banned munitions.

In fact, there are only a few of these equipments are known to exist, of which only two other countries outside France have deployed them: Thailand and Afghanistan.

Cambodia should at least ask the French government to cease supplying such weapons to Thailand. It's such a shame that France, one of the five permanent members of the UN could have sold such weapons to any countries, let alone to the Thai military who have a long history of abusing its neighbours as well as desperate migrants who happened to have strayed onto Thai territory.

There is much that France could do to assist Cambodia in many fields, by offering Cambodian students scholarships to train in their chosen choice of disciplines, or help rebuild Cambodian naval and infantry capability, allowing young bright Cambodian military cadres to attend French military academies etc. on merit rather than privileged connections.

I think people to people there is a sense prevailing of a strong historical bond between the 2 countries, and despite some misgivings over colonial France's handling of territorial issues, France had left a deep cultural imprint upon Khmer life in many respects.

But, some thinking Frenchmen may argue that the benefit is by no means a one-sided affair. After all, the Khmers have been blessed with a long and rich civilisation that may not be well reflected by the mirror of existing political-economic health or the shrinking landmass, yet it's still there in the soul of ordinary people.

Anonymous said...

cambodia should let french prime minister about our resentment and protest to france for selling this banned cluster bomb equipment to thailand or siem, really! khmer people should hold signs or posters to let the french prime minister know our protest against french selling of such illegal weapons to thailand to use for attacking cambodia, despite the ban on cluster ammution, really! that aren't right!

Anonymous said...

mr. prime minister of france, please advise french businesses and companies to invest big in cambodia. we want french businesses, too, you know! thank you.

Anonymous said...

ខ្ញុំ​មិន​សរសេជាភាសាអង្គកេ្លសទេ ពីព្រោះមិនចង់អោយគេដឹងនៅគំនិតខែ្មរ ពីព្រោះខ្ញុំសង្ឈឺមថាខែ្មរឬអ្នកនយោបាយមើលនៅមតិខ្ញុំ​
វាជារឿងល្អសំរាប់កម្ពុជាដែលរដ្ធមត្រីបារាំងមកប្រទេសយើង សូមកុំអោយឧកាសនេះកន្លងផុតអោយសោះ យើងត្រូវទាញបារាំងមកខាងយើងអោយជាប់កុំអោយរបូត​​ បារាំងដឹងប្រវត្តិសាស្រ្តយើងច្រើនណាស់និងដឹងរឿងអាកំបាំងជាច្រើនដែលខ្មែរត្រូវដឹងនិងត្រូវបានទៅអនាគត បារាំងធ្លាប់កាន់កាប់ធ្វីបអាស៊ី បារាំងអាចជាកូនអុកខ្មែរដ៏សំខាន់ទៅអនាគត ខ្ញុំសូមសរសើរខ្មែរថ្នាក់ដឹកនាំដោយស្មោះក្នុងការឈ្លាសវៃបំផុត ដើម្បីសម្រេចនូវរឿងនេះ ខ្ញុំសូមចិត្តបងប្អូនដែលមិនពេញចិត្ត សូមខំអត់ធ្មត់និងសហការគ្នាអោយពេលវេលានេះក្លាយជាពេលវេលាមាសបា្រក់អានាគតខ្មែរ សូមកុំបញ្ចេញមតិណាដែលអាចខាតប្រយោជន៍ខែ្មរ​​ សូមមេត្តាខាំមាត់សង្កត់ចិត្តប្រើកម្មវិធីស្ករផ្អែម