New FM, senior officials confer on temple row with Cambodia

BANGKOK, July 27 (TNA) -- Newly appointed Thai Foreign Minister Tej Bunnag on Sunday met with ranking officials concerning a dispute over the overlapping area adjacent to the ancient Preah Vihear temple on the Thai-Cambodian border amid hopes that the Cambodian government would be more open-minded and will not set conditions during negotiations.

Mr. Tej, appointed Saturday as foreign minister, is scheduled to have an audience with His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej Sunday evening at the Klaikangwon Palace in Hua Hin for the customary swearing-in ceremony before officially taking up his post.

A foreign ministry spokesman said Mr. Tej will be accompanied by several senior officials including Lt-Gen. Suchit Sitthiprapha, commander of the Second Army Region responsible for security affairs in northeastern Thailand, during Monday's negotiations.

Realising that the problem contains a lot of complexity, the ministry spokesman said the "upcoming negotiations will be conducted on the basis of good neighbourly relations".

Monday's talks will be the second round after last Monday's General Border Committee meeting held in the Thai border district of Aranyaprathet aimed at settling the dispute on the contested area and withdrawal of the two countries' troops along the common border collapsed.

"Thailand hopes that Cambodia would become more open-minded and will not set conditions for the negotiations," the spokesman said.

Earlier complaints by Cambodia that Thai troops had moved into thecontested area were inaccurate, the spokesman said.

An agreement in 2000 stipulated that before a border demarcation is made by the two countries, environment would not be destroyed by either side, the spokesman said.

But Cambodian civilians and military have already settled in the disputed area.

Thailand has warned Cambodia four times on this issue to strictly follow the agreement, he added. (