New Thai prime minister visits Cambodia to shore up relations

Oct 15, 2006, 7:11 GMT

Phnom Penh - New Thai Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont arrived in Cambodia Sunday and met with his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen in talks described as 'completely fruitful.'

One of Surayud's first points was to assure Hun Sen that a democratic election would be held in Thailand as soon as possible, government spokesman Khieu Kanharith told reporters after the meeting.

Surayud was installed as prime minister by the military leaders who deposed elected Thaksin Shinawatra in a bloodless coup on September 19.

Kanharith said the hour-long meeting wide-ranging and cordial, and conducted without a translator as the new Thai premier speaks fluent Khmer.

He said the two leaders reiterated that internal problems did not affect their bilateral and multilateral relations. Hun Sen has pointedly refused to call the ouster of Thaksin a coup d'etat, instead refering to it as 'military events.'

'The two countries continue to cooperate to combat bird flu,' Kanharith said. 'Sen told the Thai prime minister that the relationship between the two nations has not been changed. They discussed the overlap sea-border issue and Hun Sen said the team of negotiators for Cambodia team was still the same and if Thailand wants to resume negotiations Cambodia is ready.'

Talks over the sea borders had stalled after a meeting between Hun Sen and Thaksin shortly before Thaksin was deposed, with tentative agreements on where they should be drawn but no agreement in sight on how valuable oil revenues on either side should be split between the two nations. Cambodia and Thailand currently do not have formal sea borders.

During Sunday's talks, Cambodia also asked for steel to help rebuild its railway system and discussed boosting trade between Cambodia, Laos and Thailand. The Thai premier visited Laos Saturday.

Surayud was also scheduled to meet with National Assembly and Senate chiefs Heng Samrin and Chea Sim during his visit, which ends Sunday evening.