Talks begin between Cambodia and Thailand to end their border dispute
Started Cambodia and Thailand Today, Wednesday, talks are scheduled to last four days with the aim of ending their border confrontations, according to what Cambodian authorities reported.
The meeting will be held at a border crossing in the Thai province of Chanthaburi. Phnom Penh had demanded that it be held in a neutral location, but the Thai government refused. On Wednesday, I posted The Cambodian government A photo of the delegations of the two countries, announcing the start of the talks.
Efforts to stop hostilities
Cambodia said the goal was "Ensuring the cessation of hostilities and the restoration of stability And facilitate a quick return to normal"
For his part, Thai Defense Ministry spokesman Surasant Kongsiri told reporters in Bangkok: "I sincerely hope that this meeting will produce positive results"adding that "Its success depends on Cambodia’s honesty, in word and deed"
Despite the cross-border exchange of fire, the Cambodian Interior Ministry announced this week that it was optimistic about Thailand’s sincerity in implementing the ceasefire.
Sovereignty Dispute
Thailand and Cambodia dispute sovereignty over areas containing temples dating back to the Khmer Empire along their nearly 800-kilometre border.
At the end of October, the two sides signed a ceasefire agreement in Kuala Lumpur under the auspices of US President Donald Trump, but Bangkok suspended it weeks later following a mine explosion that injured a number of its soldiers.
According to the official toll issued by each party, at least 44 people have been killed, 23 in Thailand and 21 in Cambodia, since fighting renewed on December 7 against the backdrop of the two kingdoms’ dispute over territories along the border, the demarcation of which dates back to the French colonial era. The clashes resulted in the displacement of more than 900,000 people from both sides of the border.
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