KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 14 — Thailand and Cambodia are expected to sign a ceasefire agreement at the 47th Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur, which United States (US) President Donald Trump will also witness.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the signing, known as the Kuala Lumpur Accord, aims to ensure that both countries can make peace and adhere to the ceasefire along the disputed border area.
He said that Trump will make an official visit to Malaysia on October 26 to attend several meetings related to the 47th Asean Summit and its Related Summits under Malaysia’s chairmanship, including the Asean-US Special Summit and the East Asia Summit (EAS).
“We are working together with the United States, with Malaysia acting as facilitator, to ensure a broader ceasefire can be established between Thailand and Cambodia, and monitored by the Asean Operations Team (AOT),” Mohamad said during a press conference at the Concorde Club today.
He added that the agreement would set out several conditions for Thailand and Cambodia, including clearing all landmines and withdrawing military machinery from the border areas.
Thailand and Cambodia have been locked in a decades-long conflict over territory along their 817-kilometre border.
The dispute escalated on July 24 when both sides exchanged gunfire, before it ended on July 28 after the two countries reached a ceasefire agreement during a special meeting organised by Malaysia in Putrajaya.
Meanwhile, Mohamad said over 80 documents are expected to be adopted during the Summit, the majority of them on economic sectors.
“We would also have a meeting on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP), and this is important in view of the uncertain geoeconomic situation,” he said.
Asean and China are also scheduled to sign the Asean-China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA) 3.0 during the summit.
