Speaking at a regional economic conference in Phnom Penh, the prime minister calls for  cooperation in the fight against terrorism

PRIME Minister Hun Sen has called for greater cooperation among nations to continue the global fight against terrorism.

The comments came during Hun Sen's keynote address at the opening of the fourth annual Asia Economic Forum, which ended on Wednesday.

"Terrorism has not yet ended," he told the forum. "It still threatens the world."

He said nations should not let other issues distract from the importance of fighting terrorism wherever it exists, giving Cambodia's ongoing tensions with Thailand as an example.

"[We] should not let other issues, such as territory issues, diplomatic issues or anything else become a barrier to our fight against terrorism," he said.

"Even though we have a border dispute with Thailand, we will not allow the issue to stop us from cooperating in ... the fight against terrorism," he said.  

Prioritise war on terror

Hun Sen warned that if both nations did not work together, terrorists would have easy access to both nations and would benefit from a refusal to cooperate.

"Our goal ... is to prevent disagreements from changing our priorities in combating terrorism," he said.

He obliquely threaded his remarks into the topic of economic cooperation, saying, "We have to cooperate with each other," he said. "And [we] should not pursue any notion of economic sanctions."

 Hun Sen's speech came shortly before a border clash that government officials said killed at least two Cambodian soldiers and wounded several Thai and Cambodian troops fighting over disputed territory.