Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen called on Thailand to cooperate in resolving bilateral border dispute issues through peaceful negotiations.

The PM made the statement at his meeting with new Thai Ambassador to Cambodia Sompong Sanguanbun on June 13.

During the meeting, Hun Sen said well-established cooperative ties serves as an important basis for the two countries to address their current border dispute issues.

He noted that the two countries need to cooperate within the framework of ASEAN towards building the ASEAN Community by 2015 and that he was optimist about prospects of reaching this objective.

On his part, the new Thai Ambassador pledged to work with the Cambodian Government to restore and strengthen relations between the two nations.

In recent years, relations between the two countries have become tense due to disputes round the 900-year-old Preah Vihear Temple, causing exchanges of fire between the two countries’ troops./.