The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ spokesman Le Dung made the appeal on July 21 when he was asked about Vietnam’s reaction to recent developments between the two members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

“We want the two sides to refrain from worsening the situation and to resolve remaining issues peacefully in the spirit of ASEANfriendship and solidarity, for the sake of both countries and for the group’s stability and development” the spokesman said.

UNESCO has recently listed Preah Vihear Temple as a World Heritage Site belonging to Cambodia.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and his Thai counterpart Samak Sundaravej recently made a phone conversation on the disputed Preah Vihear temple and agreed that their defence ministers would meet on July 21 in Thailand to discuss the latest flare-up over competing claims to land around the temple.