Cambodia and Switzerland to Broaden Development Cooperation Focus to Southeast Asia under 2027-2030 Plan

PHNOM PENH, Sept 24, 2026 (KPT) — Cambodia and Switzerland are preparing to broaden their development cooperation from the Mekong region to the wider Southeast Asia region under a new 2027–2030 programme, with climate action and sustainable, inclusive development set as key priorities, officials said Wednesday. The direction was outlined during governmental consultations on the Southeast Asia Cooperation Programme (SEACP) 2027–2030, co‑chaired at the Palais du Gouvernement by Senior Minister Chhieng Yanara, Second Vice‑Chairman of the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC), and Reto Grueninger, Director of Cooperation at the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). Around 60 participants attended, including representatives from 18 Cambodian ministries and institutions alongside Swiss officials. Discussions centred on Cambodia’s priorities under the new framework and the future of bilateral cooperation. Yanara thanked Switzerland for its longstanding support across health, tourism, skills development, climate resilience, governance, mine clearance and entrepreneurship. He welcomed the strategic expansion from the Mekong region to the broader Southeast Asian context, saying the new programme would strengthen resilience and regional integration. The SEACP 2027–2030 will focus on two pillars — Climate & Environment Action and Sustainable & Inclusive Development — with good governance as a cross‑cutting theme. Both sides stressed the programme’s alignment with Cambodia’s Pentagonal Strategy–Phase I. The shift comes as Switzerland’s current Mekong Region Cooperation Programme 2022–2026 nears completion. That framework has centred on inclusive economic growth, climate change and natural resource management, and governance and citizen participation. Switzerland has maintained decades of development cooperation with Cambodia, with current engagement spanning skills and employment, climate resilience, governance and public services. Officials said the broader Southeast Asian framework would provide a new basis for cooperation while maintaining a strong focus on sustainable development. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to advancing the partnership and delivering on the objectives of the SEACP 2027–2030.