The secretariat teams of the Thailand-Cambodia General Border Committee (GBC), meeting in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, agreed in principle on a draft framework for the withdrawal of heavy military equipment from the shared border.
Details of the plan will be discussed further today, a spokesperson for the Royal Thai Armed Forces said.
The withdrawal of heavy weapons is among four preconditions set by Thailand for Cambodia, along with joint demining operations, cooperation in tackling cyber scams and settler repatriation, before Thailand agrees to attend further talks.
The Thai delegation is led by Lt Gen Natthapong Phraokaew, Deputy Chief of Defence Forces.
The secretariat-level meetings began on Monday and will conclude today, in preparation for the ministerial-level GBC meeting scheduled to begin tomorrow.
The meeting will be co-chaired by Thai Defence Minister Gen Nattaphon Nakpanich and Cambodian Defence Minister Gen Tea Seiha.
Both countries have faced recurring border tensions following deadly clashes earlier this year, which continued even after a ceasefire was signed on July 28.
Diplomatic and military-level talks intensified this week, including the GBC meeting in Kuala Lumpur and a parallel Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) meeting in Chanthaburi, Thailand, aimed at easing the ongoing tensions.
The discussions come ahead of the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this Sunday, on the sidelines of which US President Donald Trump is expected to preside over the signing of a Thai-Cambodian joint declaration on the border situation.
US officials have hinted that Trump will only visit Malaysia if he can take part in the signing ceremony.
Thai officials have warned that an agreement with Cambodia may not materialise if the ongoing GBC and JBC negotiations fail to reach consensus.
On demining operations, both secretariats have endorsed the proposal in principle, but the Cambodian side will seek final approval from senior authorities before continuing discussions today.
Both sides are also in the process of drafting a joint action plan to tackle transnational cyber scams.
