Thai army chief visits Cambodia Jan 21-22

BANGKOK, January 21 (TNA) - Thai Army Chief General Udomdej Sitabutr is scheduled to pay a two-day official visit to Cambodia from January 21-22 at the invitation of his Cambodian counterpart General Meas Sophea, aimed mainly to boost bilateral cooperation along the common border between the two neighboring countries. Accompanied by his entourage, including chiefs of the 1st and the 2nd army area commands who supervise Thai border areas adjacent to Cambodia, General Udomdej, who is also Thai Deputy Defence Minister, told journalists before his departure to Phnom Penh, Cambodia's capital, on Wednesday morning that he plans to discuss military relations between Thailand and Cambodia and increase in joint border patrols to suppress illegal logging, illegal immigration and illicit drugs. General Udomdej said that Thailand will proceed with a policy on developing border villages with neighboring countries to upgrade living conditions of villagers and he will, thus, persuade Cambodia to support the Thai government's plan on developing special border economic zones with neighboring countries. Asked for a comment about Cambodian soldiers' reported attempt to build a road near the Chong Arn Ma border pass in Nam Yuen District of Ubon Ratchathani Province in the Thai Northeast, where demarcation has not yet been completed and Thai soldiers' protest that the construction could destroy a watershed area, the Thai army chief explained the moves resulted from misunderstanding of low-level Thai and Cambodian officers and the situation there has already returned to normal. The Thai army chief noted that Thai and Cambodian authorities at upper levels have already agreed to solve the issue, which will not, thus, be mentioned during his ongoing trip to the neighboring country.(TNA)