On October 18, Cambodia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation issued a notice stating that Cambodia and Thailand held their second round of conciliation talks in The Hague, the Netherlands, from October 14 to 18, and reached consensus on adopting confidence-building measures. The notice said the talks were held within the framework of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and both sides agreed to seek a fair and friendly resolution of their disputes in line with international law.
The Conciliation Commission called on both sides to fully implement the agreed confidence-building measures and to push the conciliation toward substantive progress. The committee also pointed out that some of the agreements and measures previously reached by Cambodia and Thailand have not yet been fully implemented, and urged both sides to honor their existing commitments so as to create a favorable atmosphere for subsequent negotiations.
The two sides confirmed that each has the right to issue statements safeguarding its legitimate rights and interests and to correct factual misinformation and disinformation. The Cambodian delegation expressed appreciation for the efforts made by the Conciliation Commission and the Permanent Court of Arbitration in coordinating positions and building common ground.
According to the schedule, the Conciliation Commission will announce the detailed outcomes of the second round of talks in due course; the third round of conciliation talks is set for November 24-27 in Kuala Lumpur, capital of Malaysia.
This round of talks made progress in building confidence, but the implementation of existing agreements remains a practical issue facing the conciliation. Whether the two sides can translate their consensus into concrete action will affect the atmosphere of subsequent negotiations and the process of resolving the dispute.
