Cambodia Criticises Thai Withdrawal from Maritime Accord

PHNOM PENH, April 25, 2026 (KPT) — Cambodia has criticised Thailand’s reported decision to withdraw from a long‑standing agreement on overlapping maritime claims, calling the move “deeply regrettable.”

In a statement issued Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Thailand’s National Security Council had decided to pull out of the 2001 Memorandum of Understanding, which covered contested areas of the continental shelf.

The accord was intended to allow joint resource development while both sides worked towards boundary delimitation under international law.

Phnom Penh described the MOU as more than a technical arrangement, saying it reflected the “genuine will and common interest” of both nations to cooperate in good faith.

“The MOU embodies the goodwill of both countries in their efforts to establish a maritime boundary defined by friendship, cooperation and shared prosperity,” the ministry said.

Cambodia warned that Thailand’s unilateral withdrawal marked a departure from the cooperative spirit underpinning the agreement, but reaffirmed its own commitment to the “letter and spirit” of the 2001 deal.

The statement followed earlier comments on April 8 in which Phnom Penh voiced concern over the possibility of a withdrawal.