Thai Foreign Minister To Attend Special ASEAN Meeting On Thailand-Cambodia Situation

By Kenny Teng

BANGKOK, Dec 19 (Bernama) -- Thailand’s Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow will attend the Special ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Kuala Lumpur on Monday (Dec 22) to discuss the Thailand-Cambodia situation.

Director-General of the Department of Information at Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nikorndej Balankura, said Thailand remains open to dialogue within the ASEAN framework and views the bloc as capable of playing a constructive role based on facts.

He said the meeting would allow Thailand to present a factual account of developments and reaffirm its position, including its commitment to a sustainable resolution that requires sincerity from both sides.

“Any discussion on a ceasefire must be based on the situation on the ground, and Thailand is working closely with the Royal Thai Armed Forces,” he told reporters on Friday.

Nikorndej added that Thailand’s participation would be guided by the principles of safeguarding national interests, sovereignty and territorial integrity, while ensuring the safety of its people.

Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Dec 17 said that the meeting would enable ASEAN to deliberate collectively, establish the facts on the ground and intensify efforts to persuade both parties to halt frontline offensives, beginning with an immediate truce.

Anwar said the decision to convene the meeting, a Malaysia- and ASEAN-initiated effort aimed at easing tensions and preventing further escalation, followed ongoing consultations with the Prime Ministers of Thailand and Cambodia.

The long-standing Thailand–Cambodia border tensions erupted again in July, with armed clashes lasting several days before the two sides agreed to a ceasefire on July 28 and subsequently signed the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord on Oct 26 on the sidelines of the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur.

However, fighting has recently flared up again, causing several deaths and displacing thousands of people.

-- BERNAMA