His Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Preah Boromneath Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia, arrived home this morning after attending the 19th Francophonie Summit, held in Villers-Cotterêts and Paris, France on Oct. 4-5.
The monarch was warmly welcomed upon his return at Phnom Penh International Airport by Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, President of the Senate and Chairman of the Supreme Privy Council to His Majesty the King; Samdech Moha Rathsapheathika Thipadei Khuon Sudary, President of the National Assembly; and many other senior officials.
French Ambassador to Cambodia H.E. Jacques Pellet was also present on the occasion.
According to a press release of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, at the closing ceremony of the 19th Francophonie Summit on Oct. 5, H.E. Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, declared to thunderous applause from the heads of State and Government gathered under the glass dome of the Grand Palais in Paris that Cambodia will host the 20th
Francophonie Summit in 2026.
Following this announcement, a short film was screened, offering an overview of Cambodia, a country where culture is a vector of development and where past and future blend harmoniously.
His Majesty the King was then invited to deliver a closing speech, where he had, with emotion, the honour of accepting to host in Cambodia, the 20th Summit of the Francophonie in 2026.
Under the attentive and admiring gaze of the assembly, in complete silence, His Majesty the King, in a speech marked by solemnity, expressed his sincere gratitude to all member countries for their support and assured that his government and his people were committed to making the 20th Summit of the Francophonie an exceptional moment of sharing, a celebration.
Source: Agence Kampuchea Presse