Wednesday, 7 January 2009

Cambodia, Thailand to reopen talks on border dispute+

Jan 6, 2009

PHNOM PENH, Jan. 6 (AP) - (Kyodo)—Cambodia and Thailand will reopen talks on their border dispute when Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya pays an official visit to Cambodia later this month, a senior Cambodian official said Tuesday.

Koy Kuong, an undersecretary of state and a spokesman for the Cambodian Foreign Ministry, told Kyodo News that Thailand has notified Cambodia that Kasit plans to visit Cambodia on Jan. 25-26.

Kasit is expected to meet with Prime Minister Hun Sen and hold bilateral talks with Foreign Minister Hor Namhong, who is also deputy prime minister.

While describing Kasit's visit as routine by a senior official of an ASEAN member state, Koy Kuong said the border dispute between the two countries is an important issue and the two foreign ministers "will resume discussions on the matter."

The meeting between Kasit and Hor Namhong would be the fourth round of talks at the foreign minister's level since the border conflict erupted in July last year.

The area around Preah Vihear Temple, which was inscribed as a World Heritage Site on July 7 last year, has since been the scene of a tense standoff between the Cambodian and Thai armed forces.

The Cambodian government insists Thai troops have deployed on Cambodian soil, while Thailand says its troops are only in the disputed zone.

The territorial dispute stems partly from the use of different border maps.

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