Following the diplomatic move by Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has been invited to deal with the issue.
The ASEAN Chair has been invited to attend a vital meeting along with Cambodia and Thailand at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on Monday, 14 February, 2011, which reflected the global community`s confidenxce in ASEAN as a viable regional instrument to facilitate peace in the settlement of the dispute.
"The ASEAN Chair`s presence at the UNSC meeting represents an evolution of ASEAN`s efforts to resolve bilateral disputes amongst its Member States as provided for by the ASEAN Charter," the Secretary-General of ASEAN Surin Pitsuwan said in a press release received here on Friday.
He said that this is particularly important as it will set a precedence for future ASEAN dispute settlement mechanisms.
In the spirit of the ASEAN Charter, calling for closer and more effective consultations on political and security matters, ASEAN is seeing its Chair personally engaged in offering good offices for the first time in its history.
"Both sides welcomed Minister Marty to help search for an amicable and peaceful solution to their differences, as ASEAN continues to strengthen its dispute settlement mechanism, in line with the ASEAN Charter`s," Surin said.
According to Article 52 of the United Nations Charter, collaboration with regional arrangements on the maintenance of peace and security is encouraged.
At least eight lives have been lost in clashes between troops of both countries over the weekend near the 900-year old Hindu Temple of Preah Vihear which sits on a disputed border area.
"We at the ASEAN Secretariat stand ready to provide all possible support for renewed efforts in seeking a peaceful and amicable solution to this long-standing dispute between our two Member States," Dr. Surin said.(*)
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
