Thailand, Cambodia reach agreement on border

Thailand and Cambodia have resumed Joint Boundary Commission talks in Indonesia to try to resolve their border spat which has seen bilateral relations plunge to their lowest point in years.

Former ambassador Asda Jayanama and Cambodia's top border negotiator Var Kimhong co-chaired the two-day meeting held in Bogor from yesterday.

At the meeting, which will be concluded today, Thailand and Cambodia agreed to work jointly on three issues to support border demarcation, said Chavanond Intarakomalyasut, secretary to Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya.

"Thailand and Cambodia have reached agreements to prepare for the survey of border posts 1 to 23 in Surin and Si Saket provinces; to select a company to take aerial photos of the disputed border line; and to conduct a study on the opening of a new border checkpoint in Sa Kaeo, opposite Stung Bot in Cambodia's Banteay Meanchey province," Mr Chavanond said.

The three resolutions would be put in the record of discussion to be released today. But they would not be implemented until the Thai parliament endorsed the three minutes of the 2008 and 2009 JBC meetings, he said.

"The atmosphere [of the JBC meeting] was good," Mr. Chavanond said. "However, Mr. Var Kimhong has stressed that Cambodia wants to see the three JBC minutes get parliamentary endorsement so negotiations on other issues could proceed."

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa did not attend the JBC meeting, which lasted about two hours.