Regarding the border dispute with Thailand, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation H.E. Prak Sokhonn said that de-escalating tensions and rebuilding trust are the main priorities to normalise relations between the two nations.
H.E. Prak Sokhonn made the remarks during his meeting with H.E. António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, on the sidelines of the General Debate of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 80) in New York, according to a press release issued this morning by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
The Deputy Prime Minister thanked the UNSC and conveyed the gratitude of the Royal Government of Cambodia for his continued engagement in supporting the de-escalation of tensions in the border dispute with Thailand, particularly through his positive statement calling both sides to refrain from the use of force, and requested him to continue to do so.
Cambodia will continue to make more effort to de-escalate tensions, rebuild trust and restore normalcy in our relations with Thailand, H.E. Prak Sokhonn reaffirmed.
“Cambodia cannot assert any power to any other country, even smaller than us, because what we want is peace. Cambodia had been through three decades of war and we have endured the tragedy of genocide,” The Deputy Prime Minister underlined. “So, we have learned the lesson of the war and what we want is to contribute to peace like we have done with the peacekeeping forces.”
H.E. António Guterres expressed his sincere hope that the two neighbouring countries will be able to resolve the challenges peacefully through dialogue and mutual commitment. He informed that he had conveyed Cambodia’s concerns to his Thai counterpart and expressed his wish for a solution because at the end people will suffer.
