Sunday, August 23, 2009

Thai military officers to visit Cambodia to ease tension

A high-ranking delegation of the Royal Thai Armed Forces led by its Commander Songkitti Jaggabatra is expected to visit Cambodia on August 24, said Cambodian Minister of National Defence Tea Banh.

The delegation consists of nearly 100 high-ranking officers and two deputy commanders of the Royal Thai Armed Forces including Naval Admiral Apichart Pengsritong and Air Commander, Marshal Burerat Ratanavanich.

The visit aims to alleviate border tensions between Thailand and Cambodia and increase cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries, Cambodian Minister of National Assembly Tea Banh added. Meanwhile, new tensions related to territorial waters arose between the two countries after the Cambodian Government gave more rights to French oil company Total in the exploitation and exploration of crude oil on the overlapped area on the Thailand Gulf. Thailand said the decision violated a bilateral agreement on sea border./.

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