France Visit Offers Cambodia Chance to Press Border Case

 

PHNOM PENH, April 4, 2026 — Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet is set to visit France next week for high-level talks and a global summit, with analysts suggesting the trip could be used to advance Phnom Penh’s position on its border dispute with Thailand.

Hun Manet will travel to Paris and Lyon from April 6 to 9 to attend the One Health Summit, where he is scheduled to meet French President Emmanuel Macron, according to Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

The visit, made at Macron’s invitation, will also include bilateral meetings with French officials and other world leaders aimed at strengthening ties and expanding cooperation across multiple sectors, the ministry said.

The One Health Summit, a flagship event under France’s 2026 G7 presidency, will bring together heads of state, international organisations, scientists and development partners to address links between human, animal and environmental health.

Analysts say the visit provides an opportunity for Cambodia to highlight its stance on the ongoing border issue with Thailand, including efforts to secure access to historical documents from the French colonial era that could support legal processes related to boundary demarcation.

Kin Phea, director of the International Relations Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said the trip offers a platform to clarify Cambodia’s position and reinforce international legal principles.

“Cambodia can use this opportunity to reaffirm international legal conventions, bilateral treaties and historical records that underpin its territorial integrity,” he said.

He added that Phnom Penh has consistently pursued a peaceful approach, emphasising dialogue and legal mechanisms over confrontation.

Hun Manet will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn and other senior officials, as well as his spouse Pich Chanmony.

Cambodia and Thailand have long-standing border disputes in several areas, though both sides have committed to resolving differences through diplomatic channels and established bilateral frameworks.