DEPUTY Prime Minister Sok An is scheduled to lead a delegation to Brazil tomorrow for the annual meeting of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, officials said yesterday, one day after Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva reiterated his country’s intention to block Cambodia’s conservation management plan for Preah Vihear temple.

Tith Sothea, spokesman for the Council of Ministers’ Press and Quick Reaction Unit, said yesterday that the government is obligated to preserve the temple, which was accepted as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2008.

“We will tell the committee what we have achieved, and also our plans to preserve and develop the temple and its surrounding areas,” Tith Sothea said.

The meeting is scheduled to run from July 25 to August 3.

The approval of Cambodia’s bid to have Preah Vihear temple registered with UNESCO triggered protests in Thailand and a sustained military buildup along the border by both countries.

In his weekly address on Sunday, Abhisit said Thai officials would oppose the conservation plan. “Thai people should not worry that the country would lose some of its territory to Phnom Penh,” he was quoted by media reports as saying.