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Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet on Sunday expressed his gratitude to US President Donald Trump for his “decisive leadership and steadfast commitment” in supporting lasting peace between Cambodia and Thailand.
“On behalf of the Cambodian people, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to President Donald Trump for his decisive leadership and steadfast commitment to supporting the lasting peace between Cambodia and Thailand, and for his tireless efforts to make it a reality,” Hun Manet said during the signing ceremony.
The ceremony, held on the sidelines of the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, marked the signing of an expanded ceasefire that Trump helped negotiate earlier this year. The agreement aims to bring an end to the long-standing border conflict between the two Southeast Asian nations.
Speaking before the signing, Trump described the day as “momentous” and said, “This is so exciting because we did something that a lot of people said couldn’t be done. And we saved maybe millions of lives on this one peace deal itself. What makes me so happy is the two countries we’re dealing with, and the third that helped so much. Maybe it couldn’t have been done without you. They really like each other — I’m not used to that. Usually, there’s a lot of hatred. But millions of people are alive today because of this peace treaty.”
He added, “This is a momentous day for all of the people of Southeast Asia as we sign a historic agreement to end the military conflict between Cambodia and Thailand.”
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The US President observed as Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul formally signed the peace accord. Hun Manet hailed the signing as a “historic day,” while Charnvirakul described the agreement as one that establishes “the building blocks for a lasting peace.”
Under the terms of the accord, Thailand released 18 Cambodian soldiers who had been held in custody. Both nations have also begun removing heavy weaponry from the disputed 800-kilometre (500-mile) border region, an area that has witnessed intermittent clashes for decades.
Alongside the ceasefire agreement, Trump also signed several bilateral deals, including trade agreements with Cambodia and Malaysia, as well as a critical minerals partnership with Thailand.
The signing ceremony marked Trump’s first official engagement since his arrival at the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur. His regional tour is set to continue with upcoming visits to Japan and South Korea and may include a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping later in the week.
