Thailand, Cambodia Announce Ceasefire After Malaysia Peace Talks; US State Department Officials Present

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced on Monday (28 July) that Thailand and Cambodia have consented to an "immediate and unconditional" ceasefire starting from midnight to settle the lethal border conflicts.

Notably, this comes after the United States' (US) State Department also sent its representatives to Malaysia to facilitate peace negotiations after President Donald Trump's multiple calls for a ceasefire.

Anwar, in his role as the leader of the ASEAN regional bloc, confirmed that both parties have achieved mutual agreement to initiate measures towards restoring normalcy, The New Indian Express reported.

Reading out a joint statement, he said, 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.”

At the end of the succinct press conference, Hun Manet and Phuntam celebrated the meeting's results and sealed their approval with a handshake.

Earlier, US Secretary of State Rubio announced late Sunday that he, along with President Trump and their counterparts from Thailand and Cambodia, are closely observing the developments in Southeast Asia, following a discussion they had.

The Thai government had announced that the heads of Thailand and Cambodia are set to participate in mediation discussions in Malaysia on Monday to resolve their lethal border dispute. This comes as both nations, embroiled in the conflict, accuse each other of initiating attacks over disputed regions along the border.

A minor border dispute that resulted in the death of a Cambodian soldier in the latter part of May has escalated tensions between Thailand and Cambodia. The previous week saw an increase in border troops from both nations, amidst a diplomatic turmoil that nearly led to the downfall of Thailand's already unstable coalition government.

On Sunday, Trump informed the heads of Thailand and Cambodia that he would not finalise any trade agreements with them unless they ceased their conflict and urged 'immediate ceasefire'.