New Thai PM affirms willingness to continue border talks with Cambodia

BANGKOK, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's newly-elected Prime Minister Somchai Wongsaw at said Thursday that he is ready to hold talks with his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen to settle their border dispute.

"I'm ready to talk with Prime Minister Hun Sen to achieve better understanding and mutual benefit," Somchai was quoted by a The Nation website report as telling journalists.

Thailand's House of Representatives on Wednesday elected Somchai, deputy leader of People Power Party (PPP) for the premiership.

Somchai added he expected Thai and Cambodian delegates to meet on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York next week.

Somchai's remarks came after Cambodia Prime Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday accused Thai soldiers of intruding into the disputed border areas, while the Thai Foreign Ministry responded that armed Cambodian units had invaded into its territory in August and September.

The Thai Foreign Ministry summoned this week Cambodia Ambassador Ung Sean to protest the invasion.

Relationship between the neighboring countries became sour since July as they have been engaged in a quarrel on a refreshed long-time border dispute, which led to a military standoff around some ancient temples along their borders.

Hun Sen has renewed a warning that he might file Cambodia's complaints to the UN Security Council or international courts if the border conflicts could not be settled on bilateral level.

Two round of talks on the border issue, concerning land around the Preah Vihear and other ancient temples between the two countries foreign ministers took place in July and August, but without much substantial progress.