Cambodia and Thailand will continue to maintain peace along the border regardless of the International Court of Justice (ICJ)’s upcoming decision on the case concerning the disputed land around Preah Vihear Temple, a senior Cambodian official has said.

“Let the ICJ make a judgment in the case,” Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hor Namhong told reporters on April 22 after oral hearings on the dispute at the ICJ in The Hague, the Netherlands.

He noted that in recent meetings between Prime Minister Hun Sen and his Thai counterpart Yingluck Shinawatra, as well as between the two countries’ Foreign Ministers, both sides agreed to keep calm and comply with the court's decision.

As scheduled, after oral hearings between the two countries from April 15-19, the ICJ will make its final decision on the case by late 2013.

The ICJ’s 1962 judgment said that Preah Vihear Temple belongs to Cambodia, but it did not mention the 4.6 square kilometres of land that surrounds the temple.

Sovereignty dispute over the land has existed for a long time but it particularly became tense in July, 2008 when UNESCO listed Preah Vihear Temple as a World Heritage Site. It has led to many clashes between the two armies, claiming tens of lives.

In April 2011, Cambodia asked the ICJ to clarify its 1962 decision.-VNA