4:00 PM, August 25, 2025
Keynote Address by H.E. LTG. Maly Socheata, the Ministry of National Defense Spokesperson:
Good afternoon, fellow citizens and members of the foreign press, for this afternoon’s session, I would like to brief you all regarding the outcome of the extraordinary meeting of the RBC between the Military Region 5 of Cambodia and Chanthaburi-Trat border defense command of Thailand, which was concluded at 11:20 AM today. The press release on the outcome of the extraordinary meeting of the RBC regards as follows:
The Cambodia-Thailand Extraordinary Regional Border Committee (RBC) Meeting was held on 25 August 2025 with the Kingdom of Cambodia as the host. The Cambodian delegation was led by His Excellency Lieutenant General EkSam Aun, Commander of the 5th Military Region and Co-Chairman of the Extraordinary Regional Border Committee (RBC) Meeting. The Thai delegation was led by His Excellency Vice Admiral Apichat Sapprasert, Commander of the Chanthaburi and Trat Border Defense Command and Co-Chairman of the Extraordinary Regional Border Committee (RBC) Meeting.
Both sides committed to implementing the outcomes of the Special Meeting between Samdech Moha Borvor ThipadeiHun Manet, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, and His Excellency Phumtham Wechayachai, Acting Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand, held in Putrajaya on 28July 2025, hosted by Malaysia and co-organized by the United States, with the active participation of the People’s Republic of China. They also reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the outcomes of the Extraordinary General Border Committee (GBC) Meeting between Cambodia and Thailand, held in Kuala Lumpur on 7 August 2025.
During the Meeting, both Cambodia and Thailand agreed to maintain regular communications between all military regions and army areas and units along the Cambodia-Thailand border and strive to resolve all issues peacefully and avoid clashes. They underlined the importance of further intensifying the communication at all levels in order to build trust and promote good neighbourliness. They also underscored the positive momentum and progress achieved through these engagements in advancing cooperation across all sectors, with the shared aim of returning to normalcy.
Both sides agreed in principle to establish a Coordinating Group (CG) to enhance communication at all levels, including between commanders, Border Liaison Working Groups, standing forces in the border areas, and operational units along the Cambodia Thailand border, with the aim of resolving all issues peacefully and avoiding clashes.
Both sides also considered the feasibility of establishing the Township Border Committee (TBC), which comprises of the state and private institutions, to strengthen cooperation in all sectors. The details will be discussed in the next RBC. In the interim, prior to the establishment of the CG and TBC, local task force commanders from both sides will meet weekly, or as appropriate, to resolve issues arising within their respective areas of responsibility.
Both sides reaffirmed the importance of humanitarian demining and agreed to refer this issue, which falls under the mandate of the GBC, to the upcoming GBC Meeting, which is scheduled to take place soon, as agreed by both sides.
Both sides also reaffirmed their willingness to cooperate and collaborate with each other in combating and preventing transnational crimes, including call center operations (online scams), drug trafficking, human trafficking, weapons trafficking, and other cross-border criminal activities by exploring concrete and practical cooperation through existing frameworks. These issues, which fall under the mandate of the GBC, should be addressed at the upcoming GBC Meeting, which is scheduled to take place soon, as agreed by both sides.
