Cambodian and Thai authorities to discuss Preah Vihear

via CAAI

Sunday, 13 March 2011, 12:24 pm

Press Release: UNESCO

UNESCO Press Release Nº 33-2011

Cambodian and Thai authorities to meet at UNESCO on 25 May to discuss Preah Vihear

Paris, 9 March – Authorities from Cambodia and Thailand will meet at UNESCO’s Paris Headquarters on 25 May to explore ways of safeguarding the Preah Vihear Temple.

This development follows a mission to Bangkok and Phnom Penh by the Special Envoy of UNESCO for Preah Vihear, Koichiro Matsuura.

During the mission, the Special Envoy met with the Prime Ministers and other senior officials from both countries to discuss the situation at the 11th century temple.

“I am very pleased with the success of Mr Matsuura’s mission, and I am very encouraged by his talks with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva of Thailand and Prime Minister Hun Sen of Cambodia, which have helped open the way for further dialogue on the effective conservation of Preah Vihear” Irina Bokova said. “This will be the main aim of discussions in Paris on 25 May.”

The Director-General is also in regular contact with United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on developments.

The temple of Preah Vihear was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2008.