Foreign ministers of Thailand and Cambodia will hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the UN Security Council (UNSC) in New York, of which China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi holds the rotating presidency this month.
Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow and his Cambodian counterpart, Prak Sokhonn, were invited by Wang Yi to attend a special UNSC session and later hold bilateral talks over their stalled relationship.
Wang Yi will chair a high-level Security Council meeting on May 26, themed “Upholding the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter and Strengthening the UN-Centered International System.”
Speaking to reporters in Paris yesterday, during an official visit before departing for New York, Sihasak said Thailand remains committed to resolving maritime and land boundary disputes with Cambodia through dialogue and bilateral mechanisms.
He said the upcoming meeting with Prak Sokhonn will provide an opportunity to continue efforts to rebuild trust following discussions between Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet during the Cebu summit.
“We agreed in Cebu that we would try to turn over a new page in relations,” Sihasak said. “Thailand has consistently adhered to that approach.”
Sihasak expressed concern, though, after Cambodia’s envoy to the United Nations raised bilateral disputes during a recent UNSC session on civilian protection in conflict situations.
He said both countries had previously agreed not to internationalise their disputes and, instead, address them through direct negotiations, warning that recent accusations risked undermining diplomatic progress.
Cambodia has repeatedly accused Thailand of encroaching on its territory and violating previous understandings related to border tensions and ceasefire arrangements reached late last year.
Sihasak said such accusations were counterproductive at a time when both countries should focus on rebuilding confidence.
“Right now, we need sincere dialogue,” he said. “These are not issues that can be solved in a single day. They require time, trust and repeated discussions.”
Thailand also reiterated its preference for handling maritime disputes under the framework of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, following the cancellation of the ‘MOU 44’ arrangement.
Sihasak said bilateral discussions should continue before either side considers alternative international dispute-settlement mechanisms.
The remarks reflect growing concern in Bangkok that worsening rhetoric could reverse recent diplomatic efforts to stabilise bilateral ties.
