Bangkok (VNA) – Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said on November 8 her Cambodian counterpart Hun Manet had been informed about the resumption of the negotiations on the maritime disputes between the two nations under the Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2001 after the establishment of a Joint Technical Committee (JTC) this month.
Paetongtarn said she expects the establishment of the committee to be finalised by November 18, when she returns from the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week.
The JTC will continue negotiations under the MoU, which serves as a major framework for further discussions on the Overlapping Claims Area (OCA).
Both Thailand and Cambodia have claimed sovereignty over an area of about 26,000 square kilometres in the Gulf of Thailand that boasts rich fossil energy resources. Cambodia made the initial claim in 1972, but Thailand later rejected it.
The 2001 MoU outlined an agreed framework towards joint development in the overlapping areas and maritime border delimitation. However, the implementation of the deal has been stalled due to opposition from a segment of the Thai population who believe that the MoU could lead to their country losing sovereignty over certain areas./.
