Thai Ministry of Defence has voiced its readiness to talk with the Cambodian counterpart

The Thai Ministry of Defence has voiced its readiness to talk with the Cambodian counterpart upon the verdict of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordering troops of both sides to withdraw from the disputed Preah Vihear area.

Responding to the recent ICJ’s temporary injunction on the 4.6-square-kilometer disputed zone around the Preah Vihear Temple, Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan stated that his ministry has to firstly discuss the next stage of operations with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

However, the minister said troops will continue their stations for the time being to secure the border without additional reinforcements, and that should not be a problem.

Asked whether the ministry needs to discuss with the Cambodian side on timeframe and procedure for troop withdrawals, General Prawit replied that he is ready for the talk if Phnom Penh signaled the date of meeting.

The minister nonetheless believed that the neighbouring country seems rather look forward to talking with the new government. He stressed that troop withdrawals of the two countries must be made in parallel.