BANGKOK/PHNOM PENH (Xinhua): Thailand has formally accepted Cambodia's notification to enter into compulsory conciliation proceedings under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) regarding their long-standing maritime boundary dispute, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday.
During a press briefing, Maratee Nalita Andamo, acting director-general of the Department of Information under the ministry, said Thailand's response last Friday, submitted following Cambodia's initial transmission on June 2, officially marks its entry into the proceedings.
Maratee said the Thai government has emphasized that its primary objective is to limit the process solely to the delimitation of the overlapping maritime boundary under UNCLOS.
She noted that the non-binding nature of conciliation will ultimately serve as a mechanism to return both nations to bilateral negotiations, an approach Thailand has advocated from the outset.
The proceedings will follow a strict timeline mandated under UNCLOS guidelines. Within 30 days of Thailand's response, the four appointed conciliators from both sides must select a fifth member to serve as the chair of the conciliation commission.
According to the ministry, the subsequent review process is anticipated to take approximately 12 months, unless both parties mutually agree to an extension.
The commission will ultimately issue a report containing key recommendations. While the outcome is not a legal judgment and is not legally binding, it is designed to serve as a framework for an amicable, mutually acceptable solution, Maratee said. -- Xinhua
