PHNOM PENH: The World Economic Forum is an independent NGO that engages political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas by acting as a mediator. On the afternoon of November 23, Prime Minister Hun Manet welcomed WEF Asia-Pacific Program Director Joo-Ok Lee to the Peace Palace.

Joo-Ok Lee thanked the PM for taking the time to allow him and the delegation to pay a courtesy call and brought greetings from WEF Founder Klaus Schwab, who said that he has always valued Cambodia and had mentioned the Kingdom’s potential in meetings with representatives from countries around the world.

He also briefed the PM on the upcoming 2024 World Economic Forum to be held in Davos, Switzerland under the theme "Rebuilding Confidence." The forum will focus on four pillars: maintaining security and cooperation in a fragmented world; developing and creating jobs for the new era; the use of artificial intelligence as a driving force for economic and social development; and launching a long-term strategy for climate, nature and energy, with the participation of more than two thousand institutions from around the world.

The Prime Minister thanked the WEF for cooperating with the Cambodian government in the past, including co-hosting the WEF meeting for ASEAN in 2017. He also praised the important role of the WEF for bridging communication between the government and the private sector, resulting in new government policies and initiatives related to the business sector.

The PM highlighted his continued support for the WEF meetings that began under the previous administration. He also thanked the WEF for the invitation to attend the 2024 forum in Switzerland.