The Thailand-Cambodia General Border Committee (GBC) has reached an agreement to enhance mutual border security and economic deals without taking border issues as disputes.

The Spokesman for Thailand’s Ministry of Defense, Lt. Gen. Kongcheep Tantravanich, said the Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister, Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan, led government and military officials to attend the 14th Thailand-Cambodia GBC session in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on February 13th and 14th, 2019.

During this visit, Gen. Prawit met with his Cambodian counterpart, Gen. Tea Banh. The two sides praised the development in the Thai-Cambodian relations and tight cooperation between both governments and armed forces.

Both sides have agreed to enhance cooperation between the armed forces on land and maritime security, with regular joint military chief meetings to be held annually, and to promote areas that used to be battlefields to become mutual development areas, especially at Chanthaburi and Trat – Pursat, Pailin, and Battambang borders, where regional border committees will be established to facilitate further talks regarding developments for mutual benefits.

Gen. Prawit and his Cambodian counterpart then chaired the 14th GBC meeting, which emphasized on social and economic development at border areas as a way to promote security and stability, without taking border issues as a dispute between both countries, and to take peaceful actions when conflicts arise.

The Thai and Cambodian officials have agreed on the enhancement of cooperation with other neighboring countries to suppress drug manufacturing and distribution rings, international crimes, and criminals at large.