File photo used for representation only
Kuala Lumpur: Thailand announced Monday that Cambodia has agreed to hold talks on Wednesday in a bid to reach a new ceasefire to contain the ongoing border escalation, despite both sides having signed a ceasefire deal in October.
The announcement came on the margins of the ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, convened to discuss the border dispute between the two countries.
The talks will be conducted within the framework of the existing Joint Border Committee, Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow stated in a press briefing.
He noted that the meeting was scheduled for Dec. 24, following the proposal of the Cambodian side, stressing that his country's position is that a ceasefire is not merely a declaration but adherence to the deal.
According to official figures released by each side, at least 41 people have been killed since the fighting resumed on Dec. 12 over the border dispute between the two countries, with 22 in Thailand and 19 in Cambodia.
In the context of global reactions, Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan implored the two parties and representatives of other countries to give this matter urgent attention, stressing that the wider ramifications of the persistent escalation on residents must be taken into account.
The roots of the conflict between the two neighboring countries in Southeast Asia date back over a century in parts of their shared border, but fighting erupted in July after Thailand accused its neighbor of planting landmines that caused injuries to its forces.
