President Paul Kagame is expected in Cambodia for a state visit and the Francophonie Summit, where leaders will discuss international cooperation and elect the organisation’s next Secretary-General.
The visit is scheduled for November 13 at the invitation of Cambodia’s King Norodom Sihamoni.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, November 11, Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Kagame would hold talks with senior officials before attending the summit in Phnom Penh on November 15 and 16.
The ministry said several agreements covering “trade, investment, aviation and tourism” would be signed during the visit, although it did not provide details of the individual agreements.
Kagame is scheduled to meet King Sihamoni at the Royal Palace before holding separate discussions with Prime Minister Hun Manet, Senate President Hun Sen and National Assembly President Khuon Sudary.
The talks will focus on relations between Rwanda and Cambodia, including opportunities for businesses and institutions in both countries.
The planned agreements would expand cooperation in sectors where the two countries have already begun working together, particularly financial services and diplomatic relations.
In November 2025, Rwanda and Cambodia signed two agreements during a visit to Kigali by Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn.
One established regular consultations between their foreign ministries, while the other removed visa requirements for holders of diplomatic and official passports.
Their cooperation later expanded into digital financial services.
In May 2026, the National Bank of Rwanda and the National Bank of Cambodia announced a partnership to improve cross-border electronic payments.
The initiative seeks to make financial transactions between the two countries easier and support commercial exchanges, tourism and investment.
It followed an earlier agreement between the two central banks on financial sector development, signed in Washington in April 2023.
The planned aviation and tourism agreements could provide another area of cooperation, although neither government has announced new airline routes or changes to travel arrangements for ordinary passport holders.
Beyond bilateral discussions, Kagame will attend the 20th Francophonie Summit, which Cambodia is hosting for the first time.
The gathering will bring together leaders and representatives of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF), which comprises 90 member states and governments across different membership categories.
This year’s summit will focus on peace, international cooperation and economic development under the theme “Reinvest in Peace for Shared Prosperity and Lasting Stability.”
One of its major decisions will be the election of the organisation’s next Secretary-General for the 2027-2030 term.
Rwanda’s Louise Mushikiwabo, who has led the organisation since 2019, is seeking another four-year mandate.
She faces three candidates, including Juliana Lumumba of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Coumba Bâ of Mauritania and former Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Cioloș.
The election will be decided by the organisation’s 53 full members, with consensus preferred before a vote is considered.
Mushikiwabo was first elected in 2018 and secured a second mandate in 2022.
The summit will also discuss international peace and stability, with leaders expected to consider a declaration addressing challenges facing member countries.
Kagame’s visit will therefore include two separate engagements, beginning with official talks in Cambodia before the Francophonie discussions and leadership election.
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