AKP Phnom Penh, October 23, 2025 --

Cambodia and Thailand welcomed the agreed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the Establishment of the ASEAN Observer Team (AOT), according to the press statement released this afternoon, following the 2nd Special Cambodia-Thailand General Border Committee (GBC) Meeting.

Besides, the meeting agreed on and endorsed the Action Plan for Removal of Heavy and Destructive Weapons. 

Both sides also welcomed the agreed Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the Joint Coordinating Task Force (JCTF) on Humanitarian Demining. They agreed to meet up within one week after this GBC Meeting to identify a pilot border area for humanitarian demining within the priority border areas to be agreed upon by both sides.

Regarding cross-border crimes, both sides agreed on the Action Plan for Cooperation on the Prevention and Suppression of Transnational Crimes, including cyber scams and human trafficking, between the Cambodian National Police and the Royal Thai Police.

The Action Plan aims to strengthen cooperation in intelligence sharing, operational support for investigations and the apprehension of suspects, crime prevention, and measures concerning suspects, victims, and evidence. In accordance with the action plan, the Joint Task Force on the Implementation of the Action Plan will be established within two weeks.

The 2nd Special Cambodia-Thailand GBC Meeting, held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia this morning, was co-chaired by H.E. Gen. Tea Seiha, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence of Cambodia, and H.E. Gen. Nattaphon Narkphanit, Minister of Defence of Thailand, and observed by the representatives from Malaysia, the United States, and members of the Interim Observer Teams in Cambodia and Thailand.

Both sides agreed that the next Special GBC Meeting will be convened within 90 days or as necessary after this meeting, with Cambodia as the hosting state. 

By Heng Panha