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The Saudi Arabian Embassy has issued a remarkably sweet press statement praising the Abhisit government's efforts to solve three outstanding cases that have strained diplomatic relations for about two decades. Its timing, however, coincided with the most anxious and crucial development between both countries in years. Tomorrow, Thai prosecutors are scheduled to decide whether to take up the case against five serving and former Thai police implicated in the disappearance of a Saudi Arabian businessman in 1990 - a decision that, although the embassy did not say so, could make or break the snail-paced campaign to restore ties.

The embassy's message is clear: The ball remains in your court.

But Charge d'Affaires Nabil H Ashri, in an exclusive interview with The Nation on Friday, emphasised his country's willingness to see things go back to the way they were before a Thai worker made off with a huge haul of royal jewellery from a Saudi palace in 1989.

In the following year murders and a kidnapping befell Saudi diplomats and citizens on Thai soil and the reputation of Thai police crumbled following the revelation that much of the "retrieved" jewellery that was eventually returned to Riyadh was fake.

When Thai police were suspected of having a hand in the disappearance of Saudi Arabian businessman Mohammad al-Ruwaili in 1990, it was the last straw that broke the camel's back and flourishing relations were frozen.

Saudi Arabian investment died down, Thai exports of hundreds of thousands of workers were ended, Saudi tourists dwindled and economic coooperation was badly disrupted, if not totally severed.

Nabil H Ashri was aware of the extreme political sensitivity on the Thai part.

The crucial case against five active duty and former Thai police implicated in the al-Ruwaili disappearance involves a senior officer with close links to the ruling Democrat Party.

A decision to prosecute Pol Lt Gen Somkid Boonthanom, who has overseen the police northern region, will be a huge one in both political and legal terms.

The envoy, however, insisted that both countries require a strong will if the damaged bilateral relations are to be revived.

According to the charge d'affairs, come Tuesday and things could be very different.

He said that although his country has always placed equal importance on the three major cases haunting both nations - the jewellery scandal, the murders of Saudi diplomats and al-Ruwaili's disappearance - Thailand can expect a big positive response if the al-Ruwaili case makes further significant progress.

He refused to spell out what will happen if the case cannot go to prosecution, saying only that he did not want to see recent stepped-up efforts of both countries to improve their ties go to waste.

In his press statement, the charge d'affaires said Saudi Arabia and Thailand share common goals, values and views on regional and international issues, and Riyadh always looks forward to improving and solidifying diplomatic, trade and cooperation relations with Bangkok. Certain aspects of the relationship have gradually improved, the statement said.

International and regional forums, such as the Asia Cooperation Dialogue and Asia Middle East Dialogue, and finally the recently formalised GCC-Asean Dialogue, have increased much-needed interaction between Saudi and Thai officials.

The big "but" is that it's nearly impossible to bring the situation back to normal unless the Thai side displays total commitment to solving the still open cases.

"Although bilateral trade has improved in recent years, the pending Saudi cases have caused great damage and loss to bilateral trade and investment.

"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia remains as one of the world's top 10 most competitive and stable economies, and top 20 destinations for investment," the statement said.

Every old, unsolved issue always comes back to confront us. The stalled Thai-Saudi bonds cannot escape the bitter past, and after some 20 years of choosing to ignore it, the time has come for both sides to decide what to do about it.

"When there's a will, there's a way," is the charge d'affaires final message as the clock starts ticking toward December 29.