Thai and Cambodian Premiers Sign Joint Declaration in Malaysia
MALAYSIA, Oct 27 (TNA) - The Prime Ministers of Thailand and Cambodia signed a landmark joint declaration on Sunday in Kuala Lumpur, a significant step aimed at paving the way for peace and the restoration of relations between the two Southeast Asian nations.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet formalized the declaration on the outcomes of their meeting in Kuala Lumpur, with U.S. President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim witnessing the signing.
President Trump expressed condolences to the Thai people for the death of Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother, and praised both leaders for agreeing to a ceasefire to reduce loss of life, thanking the Malaysian Premier for his mediation.
Anutin hailed the signing as a "new chapter" in bilateral relations, reflecting a concrete step toward peace, and emphasized the need for full implementation to ensure stability and protect the innocent civilians along the shared border.
The joint declaration, which formalizes the outcomes of their meeting, commits both nations to several key steps to de-escalate tensions and rebuild trust. These include the immediate withdrawal of heavy weapons from the border area and the signing of the Terms of Reference (TOR) for the establishment of the ASEAN Observer Team (AOT), which will be composed of personnel from ASEAN Member States to ensure the ceasefire is fully and effectively implemented. Both sides also committed to refraining from spreading provocative rhetoric and to fully implementing confidence-building measures.
Importantly, Thailand agreed to begin the process of releasing 18 Cambodian soldiers in detention only after the key de-escalation steps are fully completed.
