China, US, Malaysia to observe talks
Rear Adm Surasan Kongsiri, the ministry's spokesman, said Deputy Defence Minister Gen Nattaphon Narkphanit, who is serving as acting minister, approved the participation of the three countries as observers.
The talks, originally set to be held in Phnom Penh, will now take place in Malaysia from Monday until Thursday. However, the talks are not seen as a platform for negotiations between the countries.
He said discussions from Monday until Wednesday will consist of preparatory meetings between secretary-level teams, with Thailand requesting three days to review all issues ahead of the main talks on Thursday. The core agenda, he said, is to solve tensions along the Thai-Cambodian border.
Rear Adm Surasan said the meeting has been elevated to a policy-level discussion and will not involve bilateral negotiations between Thailand and Cambodia.
On Friday, Gen Nattaphon said it was unnecessary to have neutral observers attend, as the meeting is a bilateral forum -- unlike the previous ceasefire negotiations, which involved external mediation.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) is ramping up efforts to counter misinformation and reaffirm Thailand's position to the international community. Chayika Wongnapachant, an adviser to Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa, said the ministry will hold a briefing on Monday with foreign diplomats, following their recent visit to the border areas to assess damages caused to Thai civilians.
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