Thailand sticks to all previous agreements with Cambodia

The current Thailand government promises to continue to carry out all the agreements approved by its former cabinet with the Cambodian government in order to strengthen bilateral ties, said government spokesman and Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith on Sunday.

Thailand's military-installed premier Surayud Chulanont said this to his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen while they held a one- hour meeting during his one-day official visit to the kingdom, Kanharith told reporters at a press conference held inside the Council of Ministers.

Meanwhile, Hun Sen said that despite the event of coup in Thailand, Cambodia will still cooperate warmly with the neighbor like before, "because this event is just the internal affair of the Thai people."

Chulanont's visit also aims to introduce himself to the ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries' leaders right after he came to power on Oct. 1, he added.

His visit to Laos on Saturday, to Cambodia on Sunday, and to other ASEAN countries in the upcoming days will help beef up regional cooperation, the minister said.

During the meeting, Hun Sen asked the Thai authority to help transport by railways the materials offered by Malaysia to the kingdom.

He also requested Chulanont to attend a top-level meeting among Cambodia, Thailand and Laos to develop tourism in the border areas.

"This project has already been confirmed at a meeting of foreign ministers of the three countries, but it is not decided yet," said Kanharith.

Meanwhile, both sides agreed to continue their cooperation to explore natural resources, especially oil, in the Thailand Gulf Sea, he said.

Besides, Hun Sen asked the Thailand government to finish the construction of National Road 48, 67 and 18, which was promised by the Thaksin Shinawatra cabinet. All these roads are next to the Cambodian-Thai border in Bantey Meanchey Province.

Along the border, Hun Sen proposed to open a new gate for import and export of commodities, while keeping the old gate for tourists transit only.

In addition, Chalnont requested Cambodia's cooperation to combat bird flu, which is epidemic within the region.

He also promised to Hun Sen that Thailand will have democratic elections soon to push forward its democracy.

Both prime ministers plan to meet each other again at the China- ASEAN Commemorative Summit to be held in China soon.

This is Chulanont's first trip abroad since he was sworn in as Thailand's new prime minister on Oct. 1, replacing Thaksin Shinawatra who was overthrown in a bloodless coup on Sept. 19.

Source: Xinhua