Thailand and Cambodia seal peace - Trump mediates

Three months after heavy fighting in the border region between Thailand and Cambodia , both countries signed a peace agreement in the presence of US President Donald Trump. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and his Cambodian counterpart Hun Manet sealed the agreement in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit. Trump had recently landed there as a guest of the summit of the Southeast Asian Nations Association – the first stop on his multi-day tour of Asia.

"An act of courage"

The agreement reminds us "that reconciliation is not a concession, but an act of courage, and that peace, once chosen, can reshape the future of nations," emphasized Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, whose country is chairing this year's ASEAN Summit. Ibrahim was also present at the signing of the agreement.

In July, heavy fighting broke out between the armed forces of Thailand and Cambodia along the 800-kilometer-long border between the two countries, lasting nearly a week . More than 40 people were killed in the fighting, and hundreds of thousands were displaced from the region. Eighteen Cambodian soldiers are still being held as prisoners of war in Thailand. They will now be released, Trump said, adding that he was proud to have contributed to the resolution of this conflict.

At the same time, he criticized the United Nations for doing nothing. In fact, after Trump intervened in the conflict, the Southeast Asian neighbors agreed to an "immediate and unconditional" ceasefire at an initial meeting in Malaysia at the end of July. Trump had threatened economic consequences if the conflict was not resolved.

What is the agreement about?

According to the Thai Ministry of Defense, the now-signed peace agreement, which Trump had pushed for, includes, among other things, the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the border area and joint mine clearance. It followed days of negotiations between the two countries. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet called it a "historic moment."

Whether the peace will truly last remains unclear, as the conflict between the two countries has been simmering for decades. And in recent months, despite the ceasefire agreement, there have been repeated incidents at the border.

Next up is the APEC meeting

Trump will travel to Japan for talks on Monday. He will then fly to South Korea , where the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit is taking place and where a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled.

During his Asia trip, Donald Trump is aiming to intensify trade relations with as many Asian countries as possible. This was also made clear at the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur. There, he signed agreements with Cambodia and Malaysia on mutual trade and an agreement with Thailand on so-called critical minerals.

haz/ust (dpa, rtr, afp, ap)