Phnom Penh (VNA) - Cambodia and Thailand pledged to maintain regular communication among military units along the border and solve disputes through peaceful means at the Extraordinary Regional Border Committee (RBC) Meeting held on August 16 in Trat province of Thailand.
The meeting was co-chaired by Major General Uy Hieng, Commander of Cambodia’s 3rd Military Region, and Vice Admiral Aphichat Sapprasert, Commander of Thailand’s Chanthaburi and Trat Border Defence Command.
According to a press release issued by the Cambodian Royal Army, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the outcomes of recent high-level engagements, including the July 28 meeting between Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai in Putrajaya, Malaysia, as well as the Extraordinary General Border Committee (GBC) Meeting held in Kuala Lumpur earlier this month.
The two sides agreed in principle to establish a Coordinating Group (CG) aimed at enhancing communication between commanders, border liaison teams, and operational units. The details of this mechanism will be finalised at the next RBC meeting.
The Cambodian delegation reiterated the importance of advancing humanitarian demining efforts, which, it said, depend on full respect for the ceasefire and a return to normalcy along the border.
The meeting also touched on the growing issue of online scams and other cross-border crimes. Cambodia noted that it has achieved tangible results in tackling online scams in cooperation with ASEAN and international partners. Both Cambodia and Thailand acknowledged the shared challenges posed by such crimes and agreed to further discussions at the upcoming GBC Meeting.
In a bid to normalise relations, Cambodia urged both sides to take practical measures that will restore confidence and minimise disruptions to the lives of border communities. Officials emphasised that peace and stability are vital to the well-being and livelihoods of people on both sides of the frontier.
The two sides agreed to sustain the current positive momentum and convene another RBC Meeting within one month, to be hosted by Cambodia./.
Thailand, Cambodia to hold border talks amidst troop movements, minefield concerns
A team of ASEAN military attachés, led by the Malaysian military attaché to Thailand, is scheduled to visit Ubon Ratchathani province and the 2nd Army Region area on August 14. The purpose of their visit is to observe the situation and assess the impact on local communities.
