United States President Donald Trump has overseen the signing of an expanded ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia, concluding months of deadly border clashes between the Southeast Asian neighbours.
The deal, which builds on an initial July truce, was signed by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Sunday during the annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
President Trump, who reportedly used the threat of higher US tariffs against both nations to secure the agreement, hailed the moment as a major diplomatic victory.
Speaking ahead of the ceremony, the US leader declared, “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 piece deal itself.”
The expanded agreement aims to cement the cessation of hostilities along the disputed 800-kilometre (500-mile) frontier. Its terms include the release of 18 Cambodian soldiers held prisoner by Thailand and a phased withdrawal of heavy weapons from the border areas, to be monitored by regional observers.
Commitments to Lasting Peace
The border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia has persisted for decades, but the fighting this year was described as the worst in recent memory, resulting in dozens of deaths and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people.
Following the signing, Prime Minister Hun Manet called the event a “historic day,” while his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, stated the agreement creates “the building blocks for a lasting peace.”
President Trump further emphasised the significance of the moment for the region. “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,” he added.
The ceremony marked President Trump’s first event after arriving at the ASEAN summit. Alongside the security arrangement, he also oversaw the signing of new trade and economic agreements, including a critical minerals deal with Thailand and a separate trade deal with Cambodia.
