Cambodia Urges Thailand to Restore Diplomatic Relations
Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn has urged Thailand to restore full diplomatic relations as a key step toward peacefully resolving border and maritime disputes under UNCLOS negotiations. Both nations agreed last year in Kuala Lumpur to return ambassadors to their posts, and their prime ministers reaffirmed this commitment in May, though progress has stalled amid ongoing land and sea border tensions. The third round of UNCLOS talks is scheduled for November 23-27 in Kuala Lumpur.
Cambodia is calling on Thailand to restore diplomatic relations between the two countries, calling it a crucial mechanism for resolving disputes peacefully rather than through military confrontation.
October 21 — Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn urged Thailand to implement confidence-building measures under the Thai-Cambodian negotiation process under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), particularly the restoration of diplomatic relations.
Prak stated that diplomatic relations and negotiation frameworks are key mechanisms for peaceful dispute resolution, not management through military confrontation. This is not a new issue — Cambodia and Thailand agreed last year at talks in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to return their respective diplomatic representatives to their embassies. Additionally, the prime ministers of both countries reaffirmed this intention again in May this year, with an exchange of diplomatic notes on the matter.
However, implementation has been delayed due to tensions in border areas, both on land and at sea. Cambodia and Thailand have different legal frameworks and dispute resolution mechanisms, and land border tensions can affect the atmosphere of maritime dispute negotiations.
The Foreign Minister added that land and maritime dispute issues should not be linked as mutual conditions. Both countries have resolved problems using their respective legal frameworks and mechanisms for nearly 25 years. Furthermore, under confidence-building measures, Cambodia and Thailand must refrain from the use of force at sea and maintain constructive and public negotiations.
Prak also emphasized the importance of implementing the ceasefire agreement reached by Cambodia and Thailand on December 27 last year, as well as promoting mutual confidence-building. He noted that negotiations under the adjudication process in The Hague (Netherlands) have proceeded constructively and yielded progress, as seen in the achievement of confidence-building measures and acknowledgment of each side's legal positions.
Regarding the third meeting between Thailand and Cambodia under UNCLOS, it is scheduled to take place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from November 23-27.
Source: Matichon Online
