Global General

Thai PM hopes Thai-Cambodian talks to ease tension

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-03-09 16:50

BANGKOK - Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva hoped Wednesday the Thai-Cambodian Joint Border Commission (JBC) meeting to be held in Indonesia later this month will ease tension on the border between the two countries.  

"I hope the forthcoming talks will be the starting point in easing tension between both countries," the premier said.

Related readings:  China backs Indonesia's efforts to end Thai-Cambodian crisis  Thai, Cambodia hold secret talks on ceasefire

Foreign Ministry spokesman Thani Thongphakdi said Tuesday that Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa had informed Thailand that Cambodia had agreed to attend the JBC meeting.

The meeting was earlier scheduled for February 27 but it was postponed after Cambodia said it wanted intervention by the international community.

The prime minister reaffirmed that the dispute should be settled by bilateral talks as the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) suggested. However, he has no objection if the talks are observed by representatives from Indonesia, the current rotating chair of ASEAN.

Following the latest deadly border clash on February4-7, the UN Security Council meeting in New York on February 14 urged Thailand and Cambodia to establish "permanent ceasefire" and asked Indonesia to facilitate talks.

The ASEAN informal foreign ministerial meeting on February 22 agreed that Thailand and Cambodia should hold talks in a third country in order to settle their long-running border dispute.