PRIME Minister Hun Sen said this morning that he intends to discuss a potential ceasefire with Thailand at an ASEAN meeting early next month.

The comments came hours after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Thailand’s resolution that it would use “retaliatory military action to push Cambodia soliders out of the disputed area”, passed yesterday, was “tantamount to a declaration of war”.

Speaking at a conference of the Cambodian Women’s Association for Peace and Development held at the Council of Ministers, Hun Sen said: “Abhisit has expressed his intention for negotiations for a cease-fire with Prime Minister Hun Sen and we welcome that.”

“The negotiations are to be held during the meeting of 10 ASEAN countries. I will raise the issue during the ASEAN summit, even if the issue will not be put in the agenda,” he said.

The next ASEAN summit will be held from May 7 to 8 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Hun Sen’s speech came as fighting continued for a sixth straight day on the border, near to Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey province.