Francophonie, ASEAN Summits Push Unity, Shared Prosperity Agenda

By Vijian Paramasivam

PHNOM PENH, Nov 15 (Bernama) -- Two Southeast Asian capitals are hosting major summits this week, both with peace and prosperity high on the agenda, as leaders confront political tensions, a widening economic gap, and climate risks.

Phnom Penh in Cambodia is hosting the 20th Francophonie Summit on Sunday, while Manila in the Philippines, the 49th ASEAN Summit.

Although the priorities may differ, the central objective of these summits are the same: economic cooperation must translate into shared prosperity.

International Relations Institute of Cambodia Director General Dr Kin Phea argued that the timing of the two Southeast Asian summits sends a very important message to the world.

“At a time of growing geopolitical tensions and conflicts, we need more dialogue, cooperation, and multilateralism, not confrontation and division,” he told Bernama on Saturday.

The International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) is convening the summit in Cambodia for the first time. Cambodia has assumed chairmanship of the biennial summit.

Delegates from about 80 member countries will join French President Emmanuel Macron at the November 15 and 16 event in Phnom Penh.

In Manila, regional leaders will be debating longstanding issues, ranging from maritime territorial disputes in the South China Sea and the Myanmar internal crisis, to food and energy security, regional peace and stability, and disaster preparedness and response. The ASEAN summit is slated for November 15 to 17.

The Francophonie and ASEAN summits are taking place against the backdrop of challenges in the economy, fuel, food security, global security, and climate – all of which demand collective international support to resolve.

The Francophonie member countries contribute 16 per cent of the global gross domestic product and account for about 20 per cent of global trade.

Harnessing ASEAN’s economic strengths and the resource potential of French-speaking nations will be crucial to driving economic growth and expanding trade and investment opportunities.

ASEAN’s thriving economies are generating a total trade volume of US$4.4 trillion (RM18 trillion) and supporting a population of approximately 680 million.

Cambodia Chamber of Commerce (CCC) urges French-speaking communities to tap the resources-rich Mekong belt and Southeast Asian economies.

“Cambodia hosting this summit reflects our ambitions to strengthen our economic ties with the Francophonie members and make Cambodia a practical gateway for companies seeking to establish and expand their presence in the Mekong region and in ASEAN,” CCC President and ASEAN Business Advisory Council Cambodia Chair Kith Meng said at the Francophonie Entrepreneurs Forum on Saturday.

The business forum is taking place in Phnom Penh from November 13 to 15 alongside the Francophonie Summit.

-- BERNAMA