After more than two and a half years of work, the French Alliance of Siem Reap opened its doors this past weekend. The project, built around the French language and Franco-Khmer cultural exchanges, aims to consolidate and strengthen cooperation between the two countries.

The idea, launched in late 2015 and supported by King Norodom Sihamoni, has now come to fruition. The French Alliance of Siem Reap, which originally planned a language and examination center, an arts and cultural activities center, a media library, a café, and the 8th 100% English-speaking bookstore in Asia and the second in Cambodge: Carnet d'Asie, was inaugurated this weekend in the presence of French Ambassador Eva Nguyen Binh and Siem Reap Province Deputy Governor Pin Prakad.

Reinforcing Mutual Trust

The ambassador took the opportunity to remind that such an institution serves as a meeting place for experts, students, investors, and tourists from both countries. With the goal of creating business partnerships, promoting information about Siem Reap, the iconic Khmer tourist destination, and more. French tourism activity in Siem Reap saw a 4.5% increase in 2018 with approximately 105,000 travelers visiting the Cambodge's third-largest city. There are currently 101 registered French businesses in this province.

Siem Reap has been twinned with the city of Fontainebleau in Seine-et-Marne (77) since 2000. Pin Prakad believes that the French Alliance will strengthen cooperation between these two cities "in tourism, vocational training, drinking water, agriculture, sewage systems, restoration of ancient temples, and more."

Images restored from the source website — reposition manually if necessary.