PHNOM PENH – Geopolitical and strategic competition among the world’s major powers will determine the changing regional and global situation and put direct or indirect pressure on middle power countries or small states like Cambodia, Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn said at the annual foreign affairs review conference.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation conference opened on Mar. 3 and brought together officials and envoys from abroad to discuss achievement in 2024 and set forth directions for 2025. 

Sokhonn, who returned to the top diplomat post in November 2024 after a short stint as the first deputy president of the Senate, said that the topics cover geopolitical strategic competition of the great powers and the central powers.

They also included major global trends and the challenges and prospects of geopolitical competition between the great powers for the Asia-Pacific region, ASEAN and Cambodia in particular.

Also, up for discussion were challenges to ensuring the effectiveness of Cambodia’s diplomatic performance and the necessary reforms, a review and revision of the five major tasks of the ministry.

Sokhonn said that last year the world rapidly evolved into a complex, fragile, dangerous and uncertain state due to the increase in geopolitical, political and economic competition, trade and modern technology between major powers, armed conflicts and the difficulty of finding and securing peace in many regions and countries, and the rise of non-traditional security issues. 

“These have also led to the rise of transnational crime, instability of supply chains, rising food and fuel prices and the risks of climate change,” he said in an opening speech.

“This disarray of the international order, which is moving away from the path of international law, has led to the decline of multilateral cooperation, the weakening of global governance institutions and the loss of trust in globalization.”

He said that each continent and region has its own problems, whether they involve wars between states or between armed groups within states, problems related to socio-economic, religious, military-security, technological crises or problems related to trade and technology wars.

According to Sokhonn, in the coming years, geopolitical, political, economic and strategic competition between major powers will determine the changing regional and global situation, and will directly or indirectly put pressure on middle-power or small countries like Cambodia.

Sokhonn, who is also deputy prime minister, said the Asia-Pacific remains a center of competition, dominance, influence and interests of major and middle powers. Its many tensions were due to the region’s importance in economic, trade, strategic, political, and connectivity, especially maritime. 

“In the midst of these enormous difficulties and challenges, which path will Cambodia take, how will it adapt, overcome and avoid what obstacles and pitfalls, seize what opportunities, and make what efforts in what areas and in what ways to preserve and protect our nation’s core interests? Sokhonn asked.

Officials from the Council for Development of Cambodia and Tourism Ministry presented Cambodia’s investment policy and opportunity and tourism promotion.

During the conference, Sokhon unveiled the second edition of the culinary book ‘The Taste of Angkor II’. The book is an updated version showing Cambodia’s food culture.

Prime Minister Hun Manet will conclude the meeting on Mar. 5.