SINGAPORE - Top diplomats from Thailand and Cambodia have pledged a peaceful resolution to a standoff over disputed border territory near an ancient shrine, as the Southeast Asian neighbors prepared to hold talks Monday.
The territorial row, in which thousands of troops from both sides remained locked in a standoff around or near an ancient border temple, was a key topic at a dinner meeting Sunday of the foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
The 10 Asean ministers are gathered in Singapore this week for annual meetings.
"We urged both sides to exercise utmost restraint and resolve this issue amicably," Singapore's Foreign Minister George Yeo told reporters late Sunday. "Both sides affirmed that they would ... exert their utmost efforts to find a peaceful solution to the issue."
The pledge came as top military officials planned to open bilateral talks in Thailand Monday to ease tensions.
The conflict over territory surrounding the ancient Hindu temple escalated earlier this month when UNESCO approved Cambodia's application to have the complex declared a World Heritage Site. Thai activists say the new status undermines Thailand's claim to the compound of a nearby Buddhist pagoda.
Based on estimates by commanders and Associated Press reporters on both sides of the border, more than 4,000 troops have been deployed around the temple and in the immediate border region since last Tuesday.
Troops from the opposing forces were on the brink of a shoot-out Thursday night, which was avoided when Cambodians retreated from a site occupied by the Thais.
Cambodia has written to the UN Security Council and the chairman of the General Assembly to "draw their attention to the current situation on the Cambodian-Thai border," Information Minister Khieu Kanharith said Sunday. - AP