Second Day of Cambodia-Thailand General Border Committee Meeting Advances Ceasefire Talks
Diplomats and military officials continue negotiations to halt hostilities and restore stability after renewed border clashes
On the second day of the General Border Committee Secretariat Meeting, senior military and defence delegates from Thailand and Cambodia resumed substantive discussions aimed at ending hostilities and charting a path toward stability along their disputed border.
The meeting, held at the Ban Phak Kat checkpoint on the Thai side near Chanthaburi province, built on preliminary exchanges of positions and focused on setting a comprehensive agenda for formal ceasefire negotiation, including mechanisms for monitoring and de-escalation.
The talks, which began on December 24 and are scheduled to continue through December 26, involve top officials from both nations’ General Border Committee secretariats under the observation of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations Observer Team.
Thai GBC Secretary General Nuttapong Praokaew and Cambodian counterpart General Nhem Boraden are leading their respective delegations in detailed consultations on documents and frameworks ahead of a planned third special GBC meeting on December 27 that could yield concrete agreements on a cessation of violence.
The renewed engagement follows weeks of intense border clashes that have seen exchanges of artillery and rocket fire, significant civilian displacement and mounting international diplomatic efforts to restore a lasting peace.
Both sides have expressed a commitment to negotiating mechanisms that would halt fighting and facilitate a return to normalcy, reflecting official statements that the secretariat meeting is a crucial preparatory step before higher-level defence minister talks.
During the second day of discussions, delegates exchanged perspectives on operational measures to reinforce a ceasefire and examined verification protocols, as well as confidence-building steps to reduce tensions on the ground.
The meeting is part of a broader regional push, supported by ASEAN foreign ministers and external partners, to stabilise the border and achieve a durable cessation of hostilities ahead of the scheduled defence ministers’ session later this week.
The meeting, held at the Ban Phak Kat checkpoint on the Thai side near Chanthaburi province, built on preliminary exchanges of positions and focused on setting a comprehensive agenda for formal ceasefire negotiation, including mechanisms for monitoring and de-escalation.
The talks, which began on December 24 and are scheduled to continue through December 26, involve top officials from both nations’ General Border Committee secretariats under the observation of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations Observer Team.
Thai GBC Secretary General Nuttapong Praokaew and Cambodian counterpart General Nhem Boraden are leading their respective delegations in detailed consultations on documents and frameworks ahead of a planned third special GBC meeting on December 27 that could yield concrete agreements on a cessation of violence.
The renewed engagement follows weeks of intense border clashes that have seen exchanges of artillery and rocket fire, significant civilian displacement and mounting international diplomatic efforts to restore a lasting peace.
Both sides have expressed a commitment to negotiating mechanisms that would halt fighting and facilitate a return to normalcy, reflecting official statements that the secretariat meeting is a crucial preparatory step before higher-level defence minister talks.
During the second day of discussions, delegates exchanged perspectives on operational measures to reinforce a ceasefire and examined verification protocols, as well as confidence-building steps to reduce tensions on the ground.
The meeting is part of a broader regional push, supported by ASEAN foreign ministers and external partners, to stabilise the border and achieve a durable cessation of hostilities ahead of the scheduled defence ministers’ session later this week.
