Thursday, 24 July 2008

US wishes Thai-Cambodia dispute be settled within region

By Supalak Ganjanakhundee
The Nation,
Singapore

US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice suggested on Thursday the Thai-Cambodia border dispute should be solved within the region, not at the UN.

Rice said Thailand and Cambodia to allow bilateral talks to continue to find ways to solve their row over the Phreah Vihear temple, rather than pushing ti to the United Nations Security Council.

"It's (premature) right now because there are bilateral consultations going on and because Asean is taking a role," Rice said when asked if it's too rush for the UN body to talk.

"I made very clear to all my Asean colleagues that the US will be very much interested in fact guided by the regional assessment of what need to be done here," Rice said in a group interview with selective regional journalists in Singapore

Cambodia has requested the UN Security Council to include the issue of border stand off it has with Thailand into the agenda.

The UN postponed an inner consultation on the issue from initially Thursday to Friday, an official said.

The row came into international attention as it was talked during the series of ministerial meeting here in Singapore as Cambodia sought mediation from the regional grouping after General Border Committee failed on Monday to produce concrete outcome to end the conflict.

The US State Secretary said ministers at the meeting are concerned and aware of ways to the conflict peacefully.

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