Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire to end their border clashes, the Malaysian prime minister has said.
Anwar Ibrahim said both sides had reached a common understanding to take steps to return to normalcy.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai have agreed to “an immediate and unconditional ceasefire with effect from… midnight of 28 July,” he said as he read out a joint statement.
The Thai and Cambodian leaders met in Malaysia for talks to end the cross-border fighting that has seen dozens of people killed.
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The move comes after Donald Trump intervened, suggesting to the leaders of both countries that continued hostilities would harm their chances of getting a trade deal with the US.
The US president posted about the conversations on his social media platform Truth Social on Saturday and later said both sides had agreed to meet to negotiate a ceasefire.
China also offered to assist in negotiations.
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As ceasefire talks got under way, troops from both sides reported ongoing clashes.
Monday’s ceasefire agreement aims to bring an end to their deadliest conflict in more than a decade after five days of fierce fighting.
“Today we have a very good meeting and very good results… that hope to stop immediately the fighting that has caused many lives lost, injuries and also caused displacement of people,” said Mr Manet.
“We hope that the solutions that prime minister Anwar just announced will set a condition for moving forward for our bilateral discussion to return to normalcy of the relationship, and as a foundation for future de-escalation of forces.”
Mr Wechayachai, who had expressed doubts about Cambodia’s sincerity ahead of the talks, said Thailand had agreed to a ceasefire that would “be carried out successfully in good faith by both sides”.
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The Southeast Asian neighbours blamed each other for starting the fighting which flared last Thursday after a land mine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers.
And each accused the other of shelling targets across the disputed border areas after the conflict erupted.
Both countries had recalled their ambassadors and Thailand had closed all border crossings with Cambodia – however, migrant Cambodian workers were allowed to return home.
At least 35 people, including more than a dozen civilians, have died, while more than 260,000 have been displaced after being forced to leave their homes to escape the fighting.
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