This afternoon in Singapore, Cambodia and Thailand sat down behind closed doors to tackle their long-standing maritime border dispute.
Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Prak Sokhonn led his country's legal team to the talks, while the Thai side was headed by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeo. The meeting was moderated by Katrina Cooper, Chairperson of the Commission of Conciliation under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Outside the meeting room, life went on as usual. Motorbikes buzzed down the streets, and people at local coffee stalls sat back with iced coffees to chat. For ordinary folks just trying to make a living in peace, what actually comes out of these high-level closed-door meetings will depend entirely on how both sides play their cards next.
