PHNOM PENH: The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn, and the Honorary Chief Patron of the ASEAN Women’s Circle of Cambodia (AWC), Kheng Samvada, have inaugurated the "Angkor Kitchen”. This establishment is one of the internal reforms initiated by the Deputy Prime Minister to promote ‘Culinary Diplomacy’, an initiative which has also received the support of Prime Minister Hun Sen.

According to a press release issued on Tuesday, 3 May, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the “Angkor Kitchen" was built for three main reasons. The first is to present the recipes of authentic Khmer dishes and desserts listed in the award-winning cookbook, “The Taste of Angkor”, which is a key tool to promote Culinary Diplomacy.

The second is to organize Culinary Diplomacy Training Programs for Cambodian Diplomats, especially the spouses of Ambassadors, to train them on how to cook authentic Khmer cuisine.

And the third is to contribute to the Royal Government’s efforts to transform Cambodia into an upper-middle income country by 2030 and high-income country by 2050, as the Ministry believes once Khmer Food becomes more accepted and well-known worldwide, there will be more investment opportunities in different sectors such as the tourist and airline industries, as well as in agricultural production, and restaurant and hotel expansion.

The "Angkor Kitchen" inauguration ceremony was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with Ministry Leaders, the spouses of ASEAN Ambassadors and ASEAN Partners who are also members of the AWC, in attendance.

Culinary Diplomacy is one of the key strategies listed in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Economic Diplomacy Strategy of 2021-2023, which has received the full support of Prime Minister Hun Sen. As Khmer cuisine continues to go worldwide, it is hoped that this will usher in new opportunities for investment.