SIEM REAP: The newly restored West Mebon temple rises from a reservoir at Cambodia's sprawling Angkor archaeological complex, the latest in a century of conservation projects led by former colonial power France.

French President Emmanuel Macron and Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni will inaugurate the nearly 1,000-year-old temple on the sidelines of a summit of French-speaking nations in Phnom Penh on Nov 15-16.

Conservationists have restored the 16 towers and surrounding walls over the past 14 years, and put the finishing touches on a stone marker at the entrance last week.

The temple is part of the Unesco World Heritage site at Angkor, once the centre of the Khmer Empire, and includes the national treasure Angkor Wat.