AFD has pledged to pump its largest amount of funding to date into Cambodia in the form of $435 million to fund a raft of projects, with priority given to water and sanitation, agriculture, energy and vocational training sectors.

On March 29, Vongsey Vissoth, Minister Delegate to the Prime Minister and Permanent Secretary of State of the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), and his delegation were welcomed at the headquarters of the French Development Agency (AFD) in Paris to meet with AFD’s Marie-Hélène Loison, Deputy Director General, and Cyrille Bellier, Director of the Eastern Europe, Middle East and Asia Department. The visit forms part of the sixth annual meeting to discuss AFD's strategic orientations in Cambodia.

The annual consultation offered both sides an opportunity to recall the long-term partnership between Cambodia and AFD and to define the main orientations of the activity portfolio for the coming years. Through an agreement signed, AFD pledged to finance up to €400 million ($435 million) of projects in 2023 and 2024. Priority will be given to water and sanitation, agriculture, energy and vocational training.

“In the year of celebration of the 30th anniversary of AFD in Cambodia, we are delighted to welcome our Cambodian partners to AFD headquarters. This objective of doubling our new commitment to Cambodia up to €400 for 2023-2024 reflects our long-standing partnership, with AFD responding to the priority sustainable development needs expressed by the Kingdom of Cambodia,” said Sandrine Boucher, Director of AFD in Cambodia, in a statement.

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AFD's strategy in Cambodia for the coming years is to support the country in its low-carbon transition, make territories more resilient to climate change, improve its regional integration and competitiveness, and promote the blue economy and sustainable water management.

This strategy has been developed in response to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and integrates cross-cutting issues such as innovation, gender, climate change, energy efficiency and the "One Health" approach.

“We are delighted to see AFD’s expanding operation in Cambodia. As we transition into another phase of socio-economic development, we are seeing many more collaboration opportunities to address ongoing and future challenges together. We are also pleased to note the alignment of our respective development strategies and sectoral priorities, especially in water and sanitation, agriculture, energy and vocational training sectors,” said Vongsey Vissoth.

The reunion follows a meeting between Prime Minister Hun Sen and President Macron in Paris, and AFD Chief Executive Officer, Rémy Rioux’s, visit to Cambodia.

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marissa.carruthers@kiripost.com