Thailand: Thailand is preparing its response after Cambodia initiated a compulsory conciliation mechanism under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to resolve a long-running maritime boundary dispute. The legal move aims to resolve overlapping claims over a 26,000-square-kilometer area in the Gulf of Thailand, which is believed to contain large, exploitable reserves of natural gas and oil.
According to Thai News Agency, Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, met with Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul at Government House following his return from France to report on the development. The move follows a formal submission by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet to Thailand and the UN Secretary-General to trigger the compulsory conciliation process under UNCLOS.
It comes after Thailand's recent unilateral termination of a 2001 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that had previously served as the bilateral framework to jointly exploit the energy resources in the disputed zone. Sihasak is consulting with the prime minister regarding the appointment of two members to represent Thailand on the conciliation commission. Sources indicate that potential candidates have already been prepared, as Thailand had anticipated this legal approach from Cambodia.
Sihasak is scheduled to brief the diplomatic corps on the situation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at 2:00 p.m. local time, followed by a press conference at 3:30 p.m.