PUBLISHED : 19 Dec 2023 at 17:19
The overlapping claims area (OCA) between Thailand and Cambodia and energy will be on the talks agenda when Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet visits Thailand in February, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said on Tuesday.
Mr Srettha said the OCA is just one of the issues left long stalled by previous governments.
The overlapping sea zones are subject to further exploration and hold major reserves of petroleum, exploitation of which could reduce reliance on supplies from abroad and also be used for domestic generation of electricity.
Energy Minister Pirapan Salirathavibhaga said talks on the overlapping area in the Gulf of Thailand would be time-consuming as it was necessary to clearly define the disputed boundary.
He said the talks should concentrate on joint use of underground sources of energy.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs must also take part in the negotiations, he added.