SIEM REAP, Cambodia (AFP) - - Cambodia and Thailand agreed Monday to consider pulling troops out of disputed land near an ancient temple, but did not commit to any firm steps to end a two-week military standoff.

After about 12 hours of talks, foreign ministers from both countries said they would ask their governments to redeploy the thousands of soldiers stationed around a small patch of land near the 11th century Preah Vihear temple.

The ruins of the Khmer temple, which sits on a mountaintop overlooking the jungle, belong to Cambodia, but the most practical entrance begins at the foot of a mountain in Thailand. Both sides claim some of the surrounding territory.

"We will exercise maximum restraint and avoid the use of armed force," he added.

"The redeployment will only take place once the Thai government approves," Thai Foreign Minister Tej Bunnag said.

Neither side pledged any firm goals for moving the troops, and no date was set for their next meeting.

But both countries insisted they would resolve the dispute peacefully, and proposed a series of steps to end the conflict, including a scheme to remove landmines that litter the area so the border could be demarcated.

"Both sides have the will to resolve the problems bilaterally and peacefully," Hor Namhong said.

Cambodian and Thai officials said the meeting Monday was the first step in what would likely be protracted negotiations to end a dispute that has simmered for decades.

The talks took place at an upmarket hotel in the Cambodian tourist town of Siem Reap, whose name translates as "Thailand defeated" -- a legacy of ancient conflicts between the neighbours.

The town is a hub of Thai investment in Cambodia, with Thailand's well-developed tourism industry tapping into the international appeal of the nearby Angkor Wat ruins.

Nationalist tensions last erupted in 2003 in a controversy over Angkor Wat, after a Thai actress implied the ruins belonged to Thailand.

The remarks sparked a night of riots in which Bangkok's embassy and several Thai-owned businesses were burned and looted in Phnom Penh.

The latest dispute has again fuelled nationalist passions in both countries.

Concerns over Preah Vihear helped boost Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's standing in general elections Sunday, in which his party claimed a thumping victory.

But while Hun Sen's re-election was never really in doubt, the stakes are considerably higher for Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, whose government is the target of royalist protests and mounting legal challenges that threaten to bring down his administration.

Protesters have accused Samak of giving away Thai territory after his government initially agreed to support Cambodia's bid to win UN World Heritage status for Preah Vihear.

A court ruled that the deal with Cambodia was unconstitutional, forcing the resignation of then-foreign minister Noppadon Pattama earlier this month.

Tej, a career diplomat, was confirmed as the new minister at the weekend.

The International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that the Preah Vihear temple belongs to Cambodia, but surrounding land remains in dispute.

Cambodia had asked the UN Security Council to take up the latest conflict over the temple but suspended its request to allow the current talks to proceed.

Both sides have toned down their rhetoric after US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice voiced concern about the conflict and called for a peaceful resolution.

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