PHNOM PENH — Cooperation between Cambodia and France to preserve Khmer heritage has been going on ever since the first Frenchmen in the late 19th century set foot at Angkor and stood gaping at those unbelievable monuments and statues caught in trees and roots. This would lead to the researchers of the Ecole francaise d’Extreme-Orient (EFEO, or French School of the Far East) to start restoration work in cooperation with Cambodia in the late 1890s.

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Today, as the Angkor Archeological Park is managed by Cambodia’s Apsara National Authority with its team of Cambodian archeologists and experts of various fields, cooperation between the two countries continues in many ways. For example, an exhibition of rare Angkorian bronze artifacts will shortly be held in Paris at the Musee Guimet with, as the highlight of the event, the bronze masterpiece statue “Reclining Vishnu” on loan from Cambodia.

Moreover, France and Japan co-chair the meetings of the International Coordinating Committee of Angkor that, in cooperation with APSARA Authority, oversee the site since Angkor became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.

During an interview, French Ambassador Jacques Pellet spoke of the bilateral efforts between Cambodian and France and also the international coordination in place to protect and oversee Angkor Park, Sambor Prei Kuk that is also a UNESCO Word Heritage site, and other projects such as the ongoing restoration of the West Mebon temple in Angkor Park. Pellet also spoke of the upcoming exhibition of Khmer bronze artefacts in Paris, as well as the future work for the rehabilitation of heritage buildings in Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh.