(Phnom Penh): Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn said Cambodia and Thailand are engaged in compulsory conciliation under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), expressing hope that the process will proceed in good faith and lead to a mutually acceptable solution grounded in international law.

Speaking at the general discussion of the second Inter-Parliamentary Speakers’ Conference (ISC-2) on Friday morning (Aug. 28), Minister Sokhonn said Cambodia initiated the process following Thailand’s unilateral termination of the 2001 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU 2001).

The foreign minister underlined that Cambodia’s decision to pursue the UNCLOS mechanism was not an act of confrontation or escalation, but rather a peaceful, lawful, and constructive step provided for under international law.

Citing the successful compulsory conciliation between Timor-Leste and Australia, Prak Sokhonn said the case demonstrated that even complex and long-standing maritime disputes can be resolved constructively when states place confidence in international law and engage seriously in the process.

Prak Sokhonn called for the Cambodia-Thailand maritime boundary process to move forward without delay through its applicable legal framework and mechanism, in accordance with international law.
=FRESH NEWS