Thai defence minister leaves for two-day visit to Laos

BANGKOK, January 5 (TNA) – Thai Defence Minister Gen. Yuthasak Sasiprap left Bangkok on Thursday for a two-day visit to Laos aimed at strengthening relations between armed forces of the two neighbouring countries. Speaking to journalists before his departure, Gen. Yuthasak said he would meet Laotian Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong and Lt. Gen. Duangchai Phichit, deputy prime minister and also defence minister, during his familiarisation trip. Gen. Yuthasak said he would discuss plans to hold a Thai-Lao General Border Committee meeting which was last held in 2010, a border demarcation which is now 98 per cent completed, a joint patrol along the Mekong River to prevent drug smuggling and other illegal matters, and an ambitious plan to develop the so-called Emerald Triangle which could help boost tourism among the three countries – Cambodia, Laos and Thailand. On a progress to set up a joint working task force with Cambodia to be stationed at the disputed border area near the ancient Preah Vihear temple, Gen. Yuthasak said it is now completed and he expected that the names of the task force could be forwarded to a cabinet meeting and approve by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra next week. According to him, the task force is comprised of personnel from the military, police, foreign affairs and interior ministries, national Security Council and lawyers of the two countries. The establishment of the joint task force comes after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on July 18 last year ordered Thailand and Cambodia to withdraw their troops from the newly defined demilitarised zone in a disputed portion of their border around the historic Preah Vihear temple while urging both countries to work with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to agree to allow the regional bloc’s observers to enter the disputed zone. Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to follow the ICJ’s order and use the GBC to consider details in implementing the court’s order. (TNA)