BANGKOK, Oct 21 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat said he expected to have an opportunity for bilateral talks with his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen to discuss the two countries' ongoing border dispute on the sidelines of the Asia and Europe Meeting (ASEM) leaders summit that opens in Bejing on Friday.The Seventh Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM 7) will be held in Bejing October 24-25.
Mr. Somchai said it would be good opportunity if he could hold talks over the disputes with Cambodia's Premier Hun Sen.
Meanwhile, Thai Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat said he was seeking the right time for Thai and Cambodian leaders to meet during the summit.
It would depend on adjusting time during the hectic schedule of the summit, he said, adding that the best possible chance would be during the evening of October 24.
An adviser to the Cambodian prime minister said Monday that Mr. Hun Sen planned to meet with Mr. Somchai during the summit and that the current stand off at the Cambodian-Thai border will be the most important topic of their talks.
The meeting would be the first face-to-face talks between the two leaders since a deadly gunbattle erupted October 15 between Thai and Cambodian soldiers at a disputed border area near the ancient Khmer Preah Vihear temple.
One Thai soldier and two Cambodian soldiers died as a result of the clash. ASEM 7 summit will be the first gathering of leaders of 45 Asian and European partners since its second round of enlargement in 2006.
The overarching theme of ASEM 7 is 'Vision and Action: Towards a Win-Win Solution'. During the summit ASEM leaders will focus their discussions on political, economic, social and cultural issues, including issues related to sustainable development.
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