Cambodia and Thailand will convene their first UN conciliation meeting in Singapore next week to resolve a maritime border dispute involving potentially $300 billion in oil and gas reserves, marking only the second time this rare international process has been used.
Singapore's ambassador expressed interest in expanding agricultural imports from Cambodia beyond rice, while both nations strengthened trade relations through increased flights, a food security agreement, and record bilateral trade reaching $775.54 million in early 2026.
Cambodia and Thailand begin UN-backed maritime conciliation talks in Singapore from September 14-16 to resolve overlapping claims and potentially unlock shared offshore oil and gas resources through non-binding international mediation.
Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin cancelled a 2001 maritime boundary agreement with Cambodia covering joint offshore energy exploration in disputed Gulf waters, citing 25 years of stalled negotiations, escalating regional tensions following 2025 armed border clashes.
Cambodia reported to the United Nations a mandatory conciliation process for its maritime dispute with Thailand over a 26,000-square-kilometer overlapping claim zone estimated worth 300 billion dollars, escalating tensions after Thailand unilaterally canceled a 25-year energy exploration agreement.