Thursday, 13 November 2008

Cambodian, Thai foreign ministers hold new border talks

November 12, 2008

The foreign ministers of Thailand and Cambodia held fresh talks Wednesday to try to resolve a long-running and deadly border dispute.

Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong met with his Thai counterpart Sompong Amornvivat at a luxury hotel in Siem Reap province, home to the famed Angkor Wat temple complex.

In a press release issued ahead of the meeting, Cambodia's Foreign Ministry said it hoped both countries will be committed to achieving a "peaceful and just solution" to the border problem as soon as possible without any further delay.

The ministers were scheduled to discuss issues including clearing land mines along the border, troop redeployment and demarcation of the border, said Sin Bunthoeun, a Cambodian Foreign Ministry spokesman.

Koy Kuong, a secretary of state at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told the Phnom Penh Post that the foreign ministers' meeting would build on the progress made since the start of the week between Cambodian and Thai border committees.

In October, Cambodian and Thai troops exchanged fire on their disputed border area, killing at least two and wounding a dozen.

Prior to the clash, the ownership of the Preah Vihear Temple caused both sides to maintain military stalemate near the border for weeks.

During this period, rounds of meetings were held, but all failed to find common ground on the border issue to break the stand off.

The two countries have 790-km-long border line, but only with 73 border posts which were planted in 1907.

In 1962, the International Court of Justice decided that the Preah Vihear Temple and its surrounding area belong to Cambodia.

Source: Xinhua

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