A drone view shows Thai soldiers and riot police officers confronting Cambodian people in a disputed village along the Thai-Cambodian border in Sa Kaeo province, Thailand, September 17 Photo: Reuters
US President Donald Trump will visit Malaysia on October 26, Foreign Minister Mohamed Hassan said on Tuesday, adding that he was “looking forward” to witnessing a ceasefire agreement between Southeast Asian neighbors Thailand and Cambodia.
Tension at unspecified points along the two nations’ 817-kilometer (508-mile) land border erupted into a deadly five-day conflict in July, killing at least 48 and temporarily displacing hundreds of thousands in their worst fighting in more than a decade.
“During the session, we hope to see the signing of a declaration, known as the Kuala Lumpur Agreement, between these two neighbors to ensure peace and a lasting ceasefire,” Mohamed told the media.
Mohammed was referring to a meeting of the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to be held from October 26 to October 28 in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur.
He said Trump was “looking forward” to seeing the deal, without elaborating on how or when that message was delivered.
Four demands of Bangkok
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the current chairman of ASEAN, said Trump would attend the meetings, but there has been no official confirmation from Washington yet.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but a person familiar with the matter said the trip is being planned.
Malaysia brokered an initial ceasefire on July 28 that ended the fighting after a sustained peace push by Anwar and phone calls by Trump with leaders of both nations.
Malaysia and the United States will facilitate a broader ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia, which will require both sides to remove all mines and heavy artillery from their borders, Mohamed said.
On Sunday, Thailand’s foreign ministry said the foreign ministers of both countries met in Kuala Lumpur over the weekend to discuss the ceasefire, with US and Malaysian officials present.
Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow told reporters on Tuesday that he would travel to Kuala Lumpur this week for further talks, highlighting four demands by Bangkok.
These include withdrawing heavy weapons from the border, clearing land mines in disputed territory, cooperating to fight transnational crime and trespassing in some areas, according to Thai officials.
“Right now, negotiations are moving forward,” Sihasak said.
A spokesman for Cambodia’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to questions from Reuters.
The East Asia Summit, to be held during the ASEAN summit this month, will issue a presidential statement, rather than a joint statement, as the United States had objected to the use of the word “inclusiveness,” Mohamed added, without elaborating.
The leaders of all 10 of the bloc’s members and trading partners, including China, Japan, Russia and the United States, will attend the summit.
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