On the 31st January 2017, Dr Chem Widhya presented his credentials to the President of Malta Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca at The Palace, in Valletta.
During the ceremony, the President of Malta and the Ambassador discussed bilateral relations.
Dr Chem Widhya is currently the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Cambodia to the French Republic since May 2016. He is also a Non-Resident Ambassador to the Principality of Andorra, the Republic of Cyprus, the Hellenic Republic, the Italian Republic, the Portuguese Republic, the Republic of Serbia, and the Kingdom of Spain.
Throughout his professional careers, Dr Widhya has held several important posting such as:
- Under-Secretary of State in charge of ASEAN (March 2014-January 2016)
- Adviser to the Royal Government of Cambodia with the Rank of Minister (September 2009 – September 2013); Ambassador of the Kingdom of Cambodia to the Federal Republic of Germany ( 30 August 2007 – 27 December 2013),
- serving at the same time as Non-Resident Ambassador to Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary,
- Non-Resident to Malta (May 2008 – January 2010), Cyprus (January 2009 – November 2009), Canada (May 2005 – December 2006);
- Ambassador, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, New York (November 2004 – December 2006);
- ASEAN and ARF Senior Official (SOM) Leader for Cambodia (1994 – August 2003);
- Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (October1993 – August 2004);
- Deputy General Secretary to the Constituent Assembly of the Kingdom of Cambodia (June 1993 – September 1993);
- Official Member of the Secretariat of the Supreme National Council (SNC) of Cambodia (December 1991 – September1993) and;
- Private Secretary to Prime Minister H.E. Hun Sen (January 1990 – December 1991).
Ambassador Widhya has worked on a Ph.D. Program at the Institute of International Relations in Potsdam-Babelsberg, former German Democratic Republic (GDR) from 1986-1989 and had received his academic degree “Doctor rerum politicarum” with the distinction “magna cum laude”. He studied International Relations (diplomatic course) at the Institute of International Relations, Postdam-Babelsberg, from 1981 – 1986 and obtained Master Degree on Political Sciences with the distinction “Excellent” in 1986.
Beside his mother tongue Khmer, Ambassador Widhya is fluent in French, English and German. He also has knowledge in Spanish and Russian.