BANGKOK: Thailand’s foreign affairs minister Maris Sangiampongsa (pic) has told the media that his visit to Cambodia on June 27 was highly successful.
Maris said the meetings with Cambodia’s top leaders and officials highlighted the stability and trust between the two nations.
Most importantly, the two countries underlined a strong desire to see the already good relations improve further at every level. The talks reaffirmed the commitment to working closely together and to collaborating on various initiatives.
At the same time, Thailand clearly demonstrated to Cambodia that it values its relationship with its Eastern neighbour. Maris is confident that the relationship between the two nations will reach even higher levels in the future, saying that this would not only be a strategic partnership but a sibling relationship.
This visit also followed up on the progress of what the Prime Ministers of both countries had discussed on several occasions, particularly promoting cooperation as a tighter strategic partnership in all dimensions. It is expected that by September, a clear action plan and strategy will emerge.
Hun Manet, the Cambodian Prime Minister expressed gratitude to Thailand for its cooperation in opening a new Consulate General in Songkhla.
Meanwhile, the Minister thanked Cambodia for facilitating the preparations to open a new Consulate General in Siem Reap. Both parties agreed to strive to open the new consulate by the end of this year.
On the economic front, the two countries aim to increase trade to US$15 billion from the current $8 billion. They also intend to ensure that this figure reflects the prosperity of both countries fairly, as both sides can benefit.
Discussions touched on developing the border areas together, specifically the Special Economic Zones (SEZs), which is a major objective of the government. Srettha wants to see both natural and border trade expand.
Having SEZs at the Thailand-Cambodia border would facilitate both border trade and investment. However, the technical details need further discussion to determine the extent of the expansion, with the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) overseeing the matter.
Regarding the Overlapping Claims Area (OCA) in the Gulf of Thailand, the Minister stated that Hun Manet wishes to see cooperation in exploiting the energy resources in the area to prevent the valuable resources from going untapped.
He understands Thailand's cautious approach due to the sensitivity of the issue and supports Thailand in all aspects.
Maris assured him that it is already the Thai government's goal to cooperate in developing and utilising the natural resources in the area.
However, it must be done carefully to avoid misunderstandings, which requires time. He appreciated Hun Manet’s understanding and assured him that Thailand is willing to cooperate. Given the complex technical issues involved, a committee of experts will need to oversee the process.
The discussions also covered seamless border crossings for people and goods, which will help promote tourism between the two countries. Thailand is ready to collaborate in promoting cross-border tourism to Cambodia.
Other border issues including problems with haze, call centre scams, online fraud, and drug trafficking were also discussed.
The visit also highlighted the upcoming celebrations for the 75th anniversary of Thai-Cambodian relations, with plans to promote Thai language education in Cambodia and skills development through the Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA). - The Nation/ANN
