Top Vietnamese leader attends opening session of 20th Francophonie Summit

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam led a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation to the opening session of the 20th Francophonie Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on the morning of November 15.

Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, Prime Minister Hun Manet and his spouse, and Secretary-General of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) Louise Mushikiwabo presided over the official welcome ceremony for leaders and representatives of nearly 90 countries, including 25 heads of state and government, as well as representatives of Francophone institutions and international and regional organisations.

In her opening remarks, Mushikiwabo underscored the relevance and significance of the summit’s theme, “Reinvest in Peace for Shared Prosperity and Sustainable Stability,” amid rapidly evolving and increasingly complex global developments.

The Francophone community must further strengthen its role and responsibilities, serving not only as a shared space for language and culture but also as a platform for promoting dialogue, building trust, and fostering solidarity and cooperation among countries, she said.

This would enable it to make practical contributions to the international community’s collective efforts to prevent and resolve conflicts, maintain peace, and lay the foundations for sustainable development and shared prosperity, she continued.

Mushikiwabo also outlined efforts to promote economic cooperation and labour market integration, including the launch of an information portal to support Francophone youth from 2027.

King Norodom Sihamoni said Cambodia was honoured to host the 20th Francophonie Summit, bringing the gathering back to the Asia-Pacific region following the 7th Francophonie Summit in Hanoi. He called on member countries to translate their political commitments into concrete action to promote dialogue and cooperation.

PM Hun Manet reaffirmed Cambodia’s strong commitment to the shared goals and values of La Francophonie and proposed three concrete initiatives: establishing a Francophone network for conflict prevention and mediation; launching a Francophone artificial intelligence (AI) programme to connect universities; and setting up a Francophone Economic Cooperation Centre in Phnom Penh to link businesses and investors across the Francophone community.

French President Emmanuel Macron highlighted the Francophone community’s role in promoting dialogue and reconciliation, as well as cultural diversity and people-to-people exchanges. He called for stronger solidarity among member countries, consensus-building and expanded cooperation in education and training, innovation, trade, investment and business across the Francophone community.

The OIF is a major international cooperation grouping comprising 90 members and observers, including Vietnam.

General Secretary and President Lam’s attendance at the summit reaffirms Vietnam’s consistent commitment to the Francophone community and reflects its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, self-strengthening, multilateralisation and diversification of external relations, and proactive, active international integration in line with the spirit of the 14th National Party Congress./.