Thai FM Hails Successful Trilateral Talks with China and Cambodia
YUXI, CHINA, Dec 30 (TNA) - Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said trilateral talks with Cambodia and China on Monday achieved their goals, moving the two Southeast Asian nations closer to a sustainable peace following recent border conflicts.
The meeting, hosted by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Yunnan province and attended by Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, focused on consolidating a ceasefire signed just days earlier. Sihasak told reporters that the process is moving in the right direction, emphasizing that China acted as a facilitator rather than an intervener.
The high-level diplomatic meeting follows a breakthrough on Dec. 27, when Thai Defence Minister Gen. Nattaphon Narkphanit and his Cambodian counterpart Gen. Tea Seiha signed a joint statement during a General Border Committee (GBC) meeting at the Ban Phak Khat checkpoint in Chanthaburi. That agreement established a ceasefire that took effect at noon the same day.
Sihasak noted that the key to progress is sincere mutual trust, which must be proven by a lasting ceasefire that allows civilians on both sides to return to normal life.
As part of the trust-building measures outlined in the GBC agreement, Thailand will begin the process to release 18 Cambodian soldiers once the 72-hour ceasefire is fully observed. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will witness the handover. In exchange, Sihasak requested Cambodian cooperation in ensuring the safe return of any Thai nationals currently stranded in Poipet.
The three nations also pledged to intensify joint operations against transnational organized crime, targeting cross-border telecom and cyber-fraud syndicates.
