JAKARTA: Southeast Asian leaders made little headway on Sunday in helping Thailand and Cambodia end a deadly border dispute that could undermine peace and stability in the region as it pushes for economic integration.

The prime ministers of the two feuding nations held talks on Sunday — mediated by Indonesia’s president — as part of efforts to hammer out a lasting cease-fire.But neither seemed in any mood to back down.

“There’s no conclusion,” Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya told reporters after the trilateral meeting, providing few details. “We’ll need further talks after this.”

Other topics discussed during the two-day Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit included Myanmar’s successful bid to take over the rotating chair of the regional grouping in 2014 and concerns about spiraling food and energy prices and maritime security.

The 10 heads of state were especially nervous about the potentially oil-rich Spratly islands, claimed in whole or in part by China and four Asean members — Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Vietnam.

The smaller nations, together with the US, worry that China may use its military might to seize the area outright or assume de facto control with naval patrols.

That could threaten one of the world’s busiest commercial sea lanes.

“We deemed the South China Sea issue, in all its various dimensions, as having the potential to undermine the stability of our region,” according to the final communique released after the meeting.

Member countries agreed to work toward ending a nine-year disagreement with China that has blocked completion of guidelines for an accord aimed at preventing armed conflicts over the disputed islands.

As part of that deal, the claimant nations could pursue joint development projects to ease tensions in the South China Sea region.

The annual summit was supposed to focus on developing an integrated regional economic zone by 2015.—AP