• 
• 

The Thai position expressed in the joint communique signed with Cambodia last week is still valid, he said.

Regarding the universal value of the Hindu temple, the committee supported cooperation between Thailand and Cambodia to develop the temple in all aspects and make the site a perfect cultural landscape, Pongpol said after a long committee session.

But seeking perfection of universal value in accordance with Unesco's standards is not a change in the Thai position, he added. Cooperation can happen in the future.

"I want to see the Preah Vihear temple as a point of reconciliation, rather than conflict," he told reporters.

Pongpol, a former foreign minister, called the meeting after replacing prominent academic Adul Wichiancharoen, who had held the position for decades. He said he would seek suggestions from Adul, who opposed Cambodia's unilateral application.

The "active support" from Thailand will be a key factor in the Quebec meeting, since the country has previously raised objections to Cambodia's move. The two countries spent more than a year negotiating the contentious issue of 4.6 square kilometres of overlapping area claimed by both sides. The dispute was settled last month, with Cambodia agreeing to redraw the claimed area into a core zone and a buffer zone.

"If the Foreign Ministry insists we lose no territory, the committee has no problem with that and we have no argument," Pongpol said.

However, Thais remain dissatisfied with the proposal and want a joint application. They say the periphery of the temple is in Thailand and should also be qualified to be listed as a World Heritage site.