Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan meeting his Thai counterpart, Sihasak Phuangketkeow, on the sidelines of the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Cebu City, the Philippines, on Jan 28. - VIVIAN BALAKRISHNAN/FACEBOOK
CEBU: Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan on Wednesday (Jan 28) urged the peaceful settlement of tensions along the Thailand-Cambodia border, as he met his Thai counterpart on the sidelines of the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Cebu City in central Philippines.
“Hope peace will prevail and both sides will be able to resolve their differences through dialogue and negotiations,” Dr Balakrishnan said in a Facebook post after his meeting with Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs Sihasak Phuangketkeow, whom he described as his “good friend”.
Dr Balakrishnan said their discussion covered regional developments, including the situation along the Thailand-Cambodia border and the ongoing crisis in Myanmar.
A decades-old border dispute between the two South-East Asian nations erupted into military clashes several times in 2025, with fighting in December 2025 killing dozens of people and displacing around one million on both sides. The two countries agreed on a ceasefire on Dec 27, 2025, ending three weeks of clashes.
The Thailand-Cambodia border dispute will be a key topic of concern as Asean foreign ministers gather for the grouping’s first major meeting of the year with the Philippines as chairman. The meeting underscores Asean’s emphasis on dialogue and restraint as core principles for managing regional disputes.
While Asean has consistently promoted the peaceful resolution of conflicts and non-use of force among its members, it has limited means to intervene directly in bilateral disputes.
Observers say that the renewed attention paid to the Thailand-Cambodia border highlights the fragility of regional stability at a time when Asean is also grappling with the stalled implementation of its Five-Point Consensus on Myanmar.
Myanmar also featured in Dr Balakrishnan’s meeting with Sihasak.
Thailand shares a long and porous border with Myanmar and has been closely involved in humanitarian assistance and informal diplomatic initiatives following the military’s seizure of power in 2021.
On Jan 28, Dr Balakrishnan also met Philippine Foreign Secretary Ma Theresa Lazaro and congratulated her for Manila’s hosting of the first Foreign Ministers’ meeting of the year in its capacity as Asean chair.
The Philippines and Singapore also signed a memorandum of understanding on bilateral consultations, formalising the long-standing practice of regular consultations between their respective foreign ministries.
Dr Balakrishnan’s bilateral engagements took place ahead of the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Retreat on Jan 29, when the ministers are expected to exchange views on regional security challenges, including border disputes, the crisis in Myanmar, and the long-standing negotiations for a Code of Conduct in the disputed South China Sea. - The Straits Times/ANN
