Cambodian, Thai FMs discuss border issue in Brunei

Phnom Penh, April 28 Cambodia's Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn has discussed the border issue with his Thai counterpart Sihasak Phuangketkeow on the sidelines of the 25th ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting in Brunei, said a Cambodian foreign ministry's news release on Tuesday.

Both sides held on Monday candid discussions on the border situation, including confidence-building measures and broader aspects of diplomatic relations between the two countries, reports Xinhua news agency.

"Achieving lasting peace between our two countries -- thereby contributing to peace, stability, and unity within ASEAN -- requires genuine commitment and full respect for international law, the ASEAN Charter, as well as all existing treaties and agreements that bind us," Sokhonn said.

Cambodia and Thailand agreed to an immediate ceasefire on December 27, 2025, after three weeks of armed conflict, which caused casualties on both sides.

Earlier on April 24, Cambodia expressed deep regret if Thailand decides to unilaterally withdraw from the maritime memorandum of understanding (MoU).

In a statement dated Friday and released to the media on Saturday, Cambodia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said Cambodia and Thailand signed the MoU regarding the Area of their Overlapping Maritime Claims to the Continental Shelf in 2001 (MoU-2001).

It is deeply regrettable if Thailand decides to unilaterally withdraw from the MoU-2001, the statement said.

It added that more than a technical arrangement, the MoU-2001 reflected the genuine will and common interest of both countries to pursue, in good faith, a mutually acceptable framework for the joint exploitation of resources in the overlapping claims area, while simultaneously advancing maritime boundary delimitation in accordance with international law.

Thailand's unilateral withdrawal from the MoU-2001 will be a step departing from the cooperative spirit underpinning the signing of this document, the statement said.

Cambodia, for its part, remains firmly and consistently committed to both the letter and the spirit of the MoU-2001, as well as to the goodwill and good faith that guided its conclusion in 2001.

The statement came after Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul revealed on Thursday that the National Security Council has confirmed the abolition of a maritime MoU on the issue of overlapping sea areas signed with Cambodia during the tenure of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The cabinet will review the relevant decision as soon as possible, Anutin noted.

The resolutions of the National Security Council shall be submitted to the Thai cabinet for approval before they come into effect.

Thadawut Thatpitakkul, chief of staff of the Royal Thai Navy, told reporters that the reason for the abolition was that the MoU had been in use for many years but had made no progress.

Since Cambodia has now joined the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, he said, Thailand and Cambodia can negotiate within the framework of the convention.

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor