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The inaugural mission of the Alliance des Patronats Francophones (APF) or the Alliance of Francophone Employers from March 23-27, 2026, brought together a delegation of around 30 companies from 15 countries, with a clear objective: to structure stronger economic partnerships across the francophone space. The event marked the beginning of a series of international missions to be deployed in the coming months.

Cambodia was represented by Confluences’ CEO Soreasmey KE BIN in his capacity as Southeast Asia Ambassador of the APF. At each stage of the mission, he presented the upcoming economic sequence to be held in Phnom Penh in November 2026, on the sidelines of the Francophonie Summit.

From Brussels to Geneva, via Namur and Luxembourg, the mission enabled exchanges with key organizations including AKT for Wallonia, BECI (Brussels Enterprises Commerce and Industry), the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce, and FER Genève (Fédération des Entreprises Romandes).

These discussions helped strengthen dialogue with European economic ecosystems, identify concrete cooperation opportunities across francophone ecosystems, and improve understanding of financing and support mechanisms for international development.

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Engagements with institutions, business federations, financial actors, and companies confirmed both the complementarity of these ecosystems and the relevance of a more coordinated approach.

They also highlighted the distinct positioning of Belgium, Luxembourg and Geneva (Switzerland) as highly structured and complementary ecosystems, on which Cambodia remains relatively under-recognized despite growing opportunities for engagement.

Across the three countries visited, strong interest was expressed not only by the host organizations, but also by delegates from other countries within the mission, with clear indications of their willingness to mobilize for the November agenda in Phnom Penh.

“This mission confirmed a strong alignment between European and francophone business communities. The priority now is to convert this interest into active participation and concrete projects, with Phnom Penh in November as a key milestone.”
— Alexandre PLANELLES, Executive Director of the APF

“Throughout this mission, the Alliance and each organisation that hosted the delegation provided a platform to present the upcoming economic events in Phnom Penh. Clear signals were received regarding the mobilization of their respective business communities, which gives confidence in the level of participation we can expect in November.”
— Soreasmey KE BIN, CEO of Confluences  

This first mission confirms a growing momentum and sets the foundation for the next phase: translating interest into participation and concrete engagements.

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The Francophonie Summit – Phnom Penh, November 14–16, 2026

The Francophonie Summit will be held in Phnom Penh from November 14 to 16, 2026, alongside a full economic program including the Rencontre des Entrepreneurs Francophones (REFranco), the FrancoTech exhibition, a French–Cambodian Business Forum, as well as B2B meetings, site visits and sector-focused discussions.

Several thousand participants are expected, including business leaders, institutional representatives, and investors from across the francophone space and beyond.

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For further information or to explore participation opportunities, Soreasmey KE BIN can be contacted directly at: soreasmey.kebin@confluences.asia

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About Alliance des Patronats Francophones (APF)

L’Alliance des Patronats Francophones (Alliance of Francophone Employers), was created in 2022 by the MEDEF (Mouvement des Entreprises de France - Movement of the Enterprises of France), is the largest network of businesses in the French-speaking world. With its 44 employers’ organizations from 39 countries/regions, it represents more than one million businesses around the world.  

The APF aims to strengthen ties between businesses and francophone economies, while jointly building an integrated, competitive, and innovative francophone economy. It adopts practical and operational approaches, with particular attention to the mobility of entrepreneurs within the francophone economic space, the training of young people, the ecological transition, and support for startups.