Cambodia has requested the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie (APF) to support some priority sectors in the Kingdom such as health, human resource training in French at the National Assembly (NA), and reform for digital parliament. The request was made by Samdech Moha Rathsapheathika Thipadei Khuon Sudary, President of Cambodian NA, while she was meeting with H.E. Bruno Fuchs, Delegate General of APF on Mar. 5 in Paris, France. Samdech Khuon Sudary further underscored the significance of bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the APF framework in boosting parliamentary diplomacy for peace and sustainable development, gender equality, women empowerment, cultural sector, and attention to tackle climate change, and more. The Cambodian NA president fully supported APF Strategic Plan 2023-2030 focusing on parliamentary diplomacy strengthening, mutual sovereignty respect, independence and cooperation enhancement, and legal harmonisation. She affirmed Cambodia's readiness to act as a springboard for F rench language and culture in Southeast Asia by supporting the suggestion of Prime Minister of Cambodia, Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet, to establish a French Language and Culture Centre for Southeast Asia in Cambodia as the Premier has chosen France as his first European country for his official visit after taking office in August 2023. For his part, H.E. Bruno Fuchs mentioned that Cambodia was an important French-speaking country for APF in Southeast Asia, and an active APF member which he wished to see more cooperation. He also expressed the APF's firm support to Cambodia's candidacy to host the Francophonie Summit in 2026. H.E. Bruno Fuchs added that APF and Cambodia would further work together on similar challenges other APF member countries are facing like women issues, climate change, food and medicine waste, and so on. Cambodia's NA is one of the 87 members of Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie founded in Luxembourg in 1967. Samdech Khuon Sudary left Cambodia on Mar. 2 for France to pay an official visit and attend the summit of first female speakers of parliament until Mar. 11, 2024, at the invitation of H.E. Ms. Yaël Braun-Privet, President of French NA. Source: Agence Kampuchea Presse