France, Nov. 15 -- "The Khmer smile, the smile of La Francophonie"... "In French, please"... "Welcome to the kingdom of wonders"...

From the airport to the city centre, amidst the heavy traffic of the Cambodian capital, numerous posters advertise the Francophonie summit, taking place from 15 to 16 November.

Almost 30 years after the 1997 summit in Hanoi, this is only the second International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) summit to be held in Asia.

It serves as a tribute to the legacy of the late King Norodom Sihanouk, a key figure in Cambodia's modern history and one of the founders of the OIF, alongside Leopold Sedar-Senghor, Hamani Diori and Habib Bourguiba. Tensions with Thailand

The summit represents an opportunity for Cam...