Thailand, Cambodia discuss labor solutions, border area development

PHNOM PENH, July 1 (TNA) - Thailand and Cambodia have confirmed bilateral cooperation during the ongoing visit to Phnom Penh by Acting Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow, scheduled for July 1-2. Sihasak, who is also Thai Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, met Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hor Namhong in Phnom Penh on Tuesday, after which they held a joint press conference. Sihasak said Thailand's political situation has eased with peace and progress toward national reform, reconciliation and a fresh general election, based on a roadmap worked out by the army-led National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) and overall picture set to be clearly envisioned by October 2014, in which the country's sustainable democracy was also included. The acting Thai foreign minister also noted that Thailand's existing agreements with Cambodia, including those concerning bilateral cooperation in border areas, will be carried on. According to the acting Thai foreign minister, Thailand sees the importance of migrant workers from Cambodian, Myanmar and Laos who help drive the Thai economy and wants to, thus, legalize them so that they enjoy legal benefits and are not abused by brokers and human traffickers. Hor Namhong, meanwhile, expressed Cambodia's understanding in the situation in Thailand, saying Phnom Penh adheres to its policy on no interference with internal affairs of other countries. The Cambodian deputy prime minister also stated that Phnom Penh will send Cambodian workers back to Thailand legally, acknowledging that the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued reference letters to back the visa application of more than 10,000 workers from Phnom Penh who have already entered Thailand for work. The Cambodian deputy premier, however, asked Thailand to help 14 Cambodian people who had been arrested for using fake visa stamps to enter Thailand, as they were victims of human traffickers. The Thai and Cambodian authorities also discussed joint border area development plans, including the construction of a railway, linking Aranyaprathet District in Sa Kaeo Province in the Thai East with Cambodia's Poipet Town, and the opening of the Stung Bot-Nong Ian border crossing. Besides, the Cambodian deputy prime minister gave the green light for Thai authorities to take legal action against Cambodian nationals who illegally fell trees on the Thai soil.(TNA)