OMM Redaksiyası
Cambodia is seeking a “fair and lasting” settlement to its disputes with Thailand and has urged respect for the sovereign equality of all states, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn told the 81st session of the UN General Assembly on Saturday.
Prak said recent tensions and conflict between the neighbouring countries had “seriously eroded trust and confidence”. He called for the full implementation of existing agreements and the prompt resumption of survey and demarcation work through the Joint Boundary Commission, according to the statement.
More than 20,000 Cambodian civilians remain unable to return home, he said, calling for progress in resolving outstanding boundary issues.
Cambodia seeks progress on maritime dispute
Addressing the maritime dispute between the two countries, Prak said Cambodia had initiated compulsory conciliation proceedings under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea after Thailand terminated a 2001 memorandum governing the issue.
“Both Cambodia and Thailand stand to gain from a fair and lasting settlement,” he said, adding that Phnom Penh continued to seek relations with Bangkok based on “peace, cooperation, and mutual respect”.
Prak also described sovereign equality as a fundamental principle of international relations. He said the UN Charter did not establish one standard for powerful states and another for less powerful countries.
“All member states, large or small, are equal before the charter,” he said, adding that international law must be respected and disputes resolved through peaceful means.
Laos urges action on Palestine and Cuba
Separately, Laos’ Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Thongsavanh Phomvihane told the General Assembly that trust could be strengthened through renewed support for inclusive multilateralism, with the United Nations at its core.
He described the situation in Palestine as an enduring test of multilateral credibility and voiced deep concern over the humanitarian catastrophe and reconstruction needs in Gaza.
Warning against allowing the two-state solution to “slip beyond reach”, Thongsavanh called for a just and lasting peace that would guarantee Palestinians’ right to self-determination through an independent state of Palestine.
He also called for the immediate and unconditional lifting of unilateral coercive measures against Cuba and for Cuba’s removal from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism.
