PHNOM PENH, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Wednesday invited newly appointed Thai Defense Minister Yuthasak Sasiprapha to make an official visit to Cambodia in an effort to restore military relations between the two neighbors.
In a congratulatory letter to Yuthasak Sasiprapha on Wednesday, Cambodia’s Defense Minister Tea Banh said: “I’d like to take this opportunity to cordially invite you and defense delegation to pay an official visit to Cambodia at your appropriate time in order to strengthen and promote bilateral relations between our two defense forces.”
Tea Banh congratulated Yuthasak for being appointed as Thailand’s defense minister and hoped that cooperation between the two countries, especially, in military affairs would be strengthened and expanded.
Cambodia and Thailand have had strained relations since 2008, soon after Cambodia’s ancient temple of Preah Vihear was registered as a World Heritage site.
This strained relations were worsen and turned to fierce fighting between the two armed forces that resulted in the loss of lives on both sides, while hundreds thousands of civilians from both sides were evacuated.
Armed forces from both sides remain in the area near Preah Vihear Temple even though the International Court of Justice ordered in July that both Thai and Cambodian troops must withdraw their respective troops from a newly defined demilitarized zone of about 17 square kilometers surrounding the temple.
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