My eyes only half open; I climbed out of the small plane that landed at Siem Reap International Airport, just inaugurated two weeks before my arrival. My jetlagged self first noted how the morning sun shone on my face and how difficult it felt to breathe the South Asian air. Here, I was in Cambodia, a country whose inhabitants I learned to appreciate a lot in the following days, and that deeply impressed me with its cultural heritage. I travelled from Paris to Siem Reap to attend this year’s high-level conference of Clingendael Institute and the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace on the topic: Strengthening EU-ASEAN Cooperation on the Green and Digital Transition. My participation in this event that brought together scholars and practitioners from all over the EU and Southeast Asia was longly planned. Last year, I participated in an essay competition that accompanied the conference preparation and allowed me to explore the topic of EU-ASEAN cooperation. As a Young European Ambassador and a Delegations Officer for Young European Leadership, it was clear to me that I wanted to write about youth participation in this process. I did, and I won the essay competition (to my surprise), which guaranteed me a scholarship and a ticket to the conference.
The conference itself was exciting and interdisciplinary by nature. Maaike Okano-Heijmans from Clingendael Institute and Pou Sothirak, former Director of the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace, made the opening remarks. It followed the opening plenary consisting of the Deputy-Secretary General of ASEAN, Ekkaphab Phanthavong, Igor Driesmans, EU Ambassador to Cambodia and Sakal Nong, Cambodia’s Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria and the European Union. After this high-level panel that touched on many aspects of EU-ASEAN cooperation, like trade, development, and cultural exchange, only my speech separated the participants from the first coffee break of the day. I had prepared my speech consciously short and sweet and was very honoured to deliver it in front of so many senior experts in the respected field. I raised the point of increasingly including young people in the planning and implementing cooperation projects between ASEA and the EU. The green and digital twin transitions will only be accomplished sustainably in the long term by including the next generations in the decision and implementation processes. After my speech and the coffee break, the day continued with various expert sessions ranging from the EU-Singapore Digital Partnership Agreement to the ASEAN Power Grid, the EU Energy Union and Climate Security Practices in Southeast Asia. I enjoyed being slightly out of my comfort zone with this variety of topics and widening my horizons. Overall, it was a memorable day and an excellent personal and professional development opportunity.
The days after the conference gave me the chance to explore Siem Reap. I was deeply impressed by the temples I visited (because this is what you do if you are in Siem Reap). I had the privilege of seeing Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world, which is a breathtaking masterpiece of Khmer architecture. Built-in the 12th century by King Suryavarman II, Angkor Wat is renowned for its intricate bas-reliefs, towering spires, and expansive moats and impressed me deeply. Similarly impressive was Ta Prohm, famous for its enchanting fusion of nature and architecture, as the temple remains entwined with massive tree roots, creating a captivating and otherworldly atmosphere. Besides the temples, I was also able to get to know the landscapes and cities of the region. Having a lot of noodle soup, sometimes for breakfast, lunch and dinner and finding myself conversing with Cambodians about football, music, and food rounded my experience up and made me hope to come back one day.
Vincent Tadday 
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