Cambodia Calls for Talks With Thailand on Disputed Offshore Gas

Aug. 31 (Bloomberg) — Cambodia called for official talks with Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to jointly develop areas of the Gulf of Thailand that may be rich in oil and gas after revealing it held secret meetings with her predecessor.

“Cambodia would welcome the resumption of open and official negotiation on this issue and will pursue such a course as soon as practicable,” the Cambodian National Petroleum Authority said in a statement yesterday.

Talks on delineating 26,000 square kilometers in the Gulf of Thailand stalled as battles between the neighbors since 2008 over temples on their land border killed more than two dozen people. Ex-leader Abhisit Vejjajiva scrapped a 2001 deal that established a framework for the talks after Cambodia appointed Thaksin Shinawatra, Yingluck’s brother, as an adviser.

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An held “secret meetings” with Suthep Thaugsuban, Abhisit’s deputy, the past two years on the disputed maritime territory, according to the statement. Cambodia’s petroleum agency said Abhisit has been “attempting to derail” negotiations with Yingluck’s government, which took power earlier this month.

Suthep declined to comment when reached by phone today.

–With assistance from Supunnabul Suwannakij in Bangkok. Editor: Tony Jordan