During his visit to the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, Prime Minister Hun Manet met for bilateral talks with several well-known public figures and business leaders.

Among the key figures he met on the sidelines of the January 16-17 forum were WEF founder and chairman Klaus Schwab, former US Secretary of State John Kerry, who now serves as US President Joe Biden’s special commissioner for climate change, and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, now executive director of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI).

Manet also met with Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, secretary-general of the World Health Organisation (WHO); Jean Todt, UN special envoy for road safety; Daren Tang, director-general of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO); Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin; Samantha Power, head of the US Agency for International Development (USAID); Japanese Minister of Digital Transformation Taro Kono; Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh; and Mathias Cormann, secretary-general of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

WIPO director-general Tang expressed his organisation’s continued support for capacity building and an increase in intellectual property (IP) knowledge, support which Manet had requested.

During the meeting, Manet shared his appreciation for the excellent results of cooperation between Cambodia and WIPO, noting that the organisation has provided Cambodia with technical assistance for the Industrial Property Automation System (IPAS), built capacity of preparing laws, legal documents and provisions relating to IP and increased the public’s understanding of IP law.

According to Manet’s social media post following the meeting, Tang had acknowledged the quality of products produced in Cambodia. Thanks to their cooperation, Tang was aware of the geographical indications (GI) marks used for high-quality products from the Kingdom and noted their export potential.

During his meeting with Japanese digital minister Kono, Manet explained that the Cambodian government has prioritised digital technology as an important element of fostering a new source of economic growth, essential for the Kingdom’s goal of attaining high-income status by 2050.

Kono shared his appreciation for the progress of Cambodia-Japan cooperation, especially in the digital, trade and other priority sectors, noting that in the digital age, data management is crucial.

He explained that it can be used for building and developing effective policy and improving the livelihoods of people.

Manet agreed with Kono, saying the government views data as an essential roadmap and a compass that will guide the Kingdom’s development.

“I put more emphasis on the development of financial technology [FinTech] in Cambodia. The National Bank of Cambodia [NBC] has been rolling out online cross-border payments to make it more convenient for investors, vendors and the owners of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to do business,” added the premier.

Manet also met for talks with former British Prime Minister Blair on January 17.

As chief of the TBI, Blair expressed his keen interest in Cambodia’s development goals and priorities, particularly in the sectors of energy, environment, agriculture and industry.

He said his institute is currently cooperating with many developing countries, including several in the ASEAN region.

Manet briefed Blair on his government’s Pentagonal Strategy-Phase 1, which focuses on human resources development, maintaining growth, digital advancements and job creation, as well as resilient, sustainable and inclusive development.

“I informed him that Cambodia is focused on good governance. I told him that agriculture remains a priority, with the country having transformed from a traditional agricultural society to a smart one,” he said.

Regarding energy, he told Blair that the Kingdom has now reached 62 per cent clean energy usage, and aims to reach 70 per cent by 2030.

Manet noted the fact that Cambodia has cancelled plans to construct a new coal-fired plant, which would have produced 700MW. He also highlighted his government’s efforts to introduce administrative reforms.

Before returning to Paris, where he is slated to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron, Manet met with Samantha Power, the head of USAID, the largest US government development agency.

During the meeting, Power expressed her appreciation for Cambodia’s efforts to reduce communicable disease statistics, as well as maternal deaths and those of babies and children under 5.

According to Manet’s social media post, Power also confirmed USAID’s continued cooperation on existing projects and said the agency will provide further aid in the fields of the environment, education, biodiversity and ecology protection, as well as the promotion of community livelihoods.

The prime minister spoke highly of USAID’s support for Cambodia’s socio-economic development.

He also praised USAID’s decision to provide $18 million in aid, as confirmed by US Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland during his recent visit to the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in the US’ New York City.

Power took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share her thoughts on the meeting.

“Met with Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet today on opportunities to build a more productive relationship. Discussed importance of environmental protection, civil society, and anticorruption in improving the lives of the Cambodian people,” she tweeted.

Several US officials retweeted her post, although the meeting drew minor criticism.

USAID Cambodia mission director Kerry Pelzman reposted Power’s tweet, adding: “At Davos, USAID Administrator Samantha Power met with Cambodia’s PM Hun Manet. The USAID implements locally-led partnerships to improve the lives of the Cambodian people.”

US ambassador to Cambodia W Patrick Murphy tweeted: “USAID Administrator Samantha Power met with PM Hun Manet on the margins of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland to discuss US –Cambodia relation”.

One critic, Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch (HRW), criticised the meeting, asking whether Power had mentioned human rights or sanctions.

Regarding his comments, Kin Phea, director of the Royal Academy of Cambodia’s (RAC) International Relations Institute, suggested that such criticism is not unusual, saying the US and Cambodia are more focused on mutual interests.

“The US has improved relations with many countries with worse human rights records than Cambodia,” he said.

While downplaying criticism, Phea suggested that the government continue to focus on maintaining peace, political stability, development, social justice, reducing the gap between rich and poor, and providing better public services.

“This is what the government should care about, because it is Cambodians who own the Kingdom, not foreigners,” he said.

RAC secretary-general Yang Peou described the multiple meetings as excellent examples of the ways that Manet is serving the nation’s interests. He noted that the new government is pursuing “colourful” foreign diplomacy by welcoming open cooperation with all countries, based on adherence to respect for independence and sovereignty, as well as local and international law.