10/20/2008
(RTTNews) - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen plans to hold talks with his Thai counterpart Somchai Wongsawat this week in Beijing after a long-running border dispute near Cambodia's ancient Preah Vihear temple escalated into a deadly exchange of fire last week, media reports, quoting a Cambodian official said Monday.
The two leaders are expected to meet on the sidelines of a meeting between leaders of Asian and European nations October 24 and 25.
"During his stay in Beijing, the prime minister will bilaterally meet with the Chinese prime minister Wen Jiabao and we have planned to meet with the Thai prime minister as well," Hun Sen's advisor said.
"We are planning this meeting (with Somchai)," he said, before Hun Sen left for China Monday from Phnom Penh, without giving more details.
However, Somchai said in Bangkok that no specific meeting had been planned with Hun Sen, but confirmed that he would be in China from October 23 to 25 and was open to talks.
"The Cambodia issue needs to be discussed between the two countries," he said. "(Talks) depend on whether there is an appropriate atmosphere and an appropriate time available or not."
Thai and Cambodian military officials meanwhile are scheduled to hold talks later this week in Siem Reap to calm tempers after two Cambodian soldiers were killed and seven Thai troops injured in a exchange of fire last Wednesday.
Emergency talks the following day with both Cambodian and Thai officials agreeing to joint border patrols -- which have not started yet -- but offered no lasting solution to the military stand-off along the border.
Tensions between the neighbors flared after talks to end months-long standoff over land near Preah Vihear -- a United Nations cultural heritage site inside Cambodian territory -- failed.
The conflict first arose in July when the U.N. accepted Cambodia's submission to name Preah Vihear a World Heritage site, with both countries dispatching troops to the border.
The situation quickly escalated into a military confrontation, with up to 1,000 Cambodian and Thai troops in an eye-ball-to-eye-ball confrontation for six weeks, although both sides in August agreed to reduce the troop numbers in the disputed area.
by RTT Staff Writer
For comments and feedback:
contact editorial@rttnews.com
(RTTNews) - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen plans to hold talks with his Thai counterpart Somchai Wongsawat this week in Beijing after a long-running border dispute near Cambodia's ancient Preah Vihear temple escalated into a deadly exchange of fire last week, media reports, quoting a Cambodian official said Monday.
The two leaders are expected to meet on the sidelines of a meeting between leaders of Asian and European nations October 24 and 25.
"During his stay in Beijing, the prime minister will bilaterally meet with the Chinese prime minister Wen Jiabao and we have planned to meet with the Thai prime minister as well," Hun Sen's advisor said.
"We are planning this meeting (with Somchai)," he said, before Hun Sen left for China Monday from Phnom Penh, without giving more details.
However, Somchai said in Bangkok that no specific meeting had been planned with Hun Sen, but confirmed that he would be in China from October 23 to 25 and was open to talks.
"The Cambodia issue needs to be discussed between the two countries," he said. "(Talks) depend on whether there is an appropriate atmosphere and an appropriate time available or not."
Thai and Cambodian military officials meanwhile are scheduled to hold talks later this week in Siem Reap to calm tempers after two Cambodian soldiers were killed and seven Thai troops injured in a exchange of fire last Wednesday.
Emergency talks the following day with both Cambodian and Thai officials agreeing to joint border patrols -- which have not started yet -- but offered no lasting solution to the military stand-off along the border.
Tensions between the neighbors flared after talks to end months-long standoff over land near Preah Vihear -- a United Nations cultural heritage site inside Cambodian territory -- failed.
The conflict first arose in July when the U.N. accepted Cambodia's submission to name Preah Vihear a World Heritage site, with both countries dispatching troops to the border.
The situation quickly escalated into a military confrontation, with up to 1,000 Cambodian and Thai troops in an eye-ball-to-eye-ball confrontation for six weeks, although both sides in August agreed to reduce the troop numbers in the disputed area.
by RTT Staff Writer
For comments and feedback:
contact editorial@rttnews.com
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