BANGKOK, Dec 21 — Thai Defence Minister Gen Yutthasak Sasiprapa on Wednesday led Thai delegates to attend Thai-Cambodian General Border Committee (GBC) in Phnom Penh to discuss on a 17 item agenda including the issue of troop withdrawals under the International Court of Justice (ICJ)’s order on provisional measures.
Gen Yutthasak and his entourage including Supreme Commander Gen Thanasak Patimaprakorn, Permanent Secretary for Defence Gen Sathien Permthongin, Army Chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha, Navy chief Adm Surasak Runroengrom and Air Force chief Ittiporn Supawaong left Suvarnabhumi Airport at 8.15am to attend the 8th Thai-Cambodia GBC.
The opening ceremony of the meeting starts at 11am.
The 17 issues to be discussed during the one day meeting include security matters and cooperation between the two countries, including landmine clearance, maritime security, military cooperation and developing quality of life.
The delegations were expected to discuss the troop withdrawal under the World Court’s order on provisional measures.
The Court on July 18 ordered Thailand and Cambodia to withdraw their troops from the newly defined demilitarised zone in a disputed portion of their border around the historic Preah Vihear temple while urging both countries to work with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to allow the regional bloc’s observers to enter the disputed zone.
Gen Yutthasak is scheduled to return to Thailand at 3.30 pm and a press conference on the result of the meeting will be held at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
