Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow will return to Kuala Lumpur on Friday to follow up on the progress in the implementation of the ceasefire agreements, according to informed sources in Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.
The sources said that Thailand and Cambodia were discussing the possibility of placing an ASEAN-only monitoring team at their border.
Sihasak visited Malaysia on October 12–13 at the invitation of the ASEAN chair, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. On Sunday, he attended four-party consultations between Malaysia, Cambodia, and the US, following up on a similar meeting held in New York on September 26.
A press release from the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the weekend meeting advanced discussions on outstanding matters, the way forward to de-escalate tensions, and to ensure tangible progress on the implementation of the ceasefire agreement.
During the consultations, Sihasak stressed the importance of the existing bilateral mechanisms, which have made progress since the ceasefire agreements were reached in July. Both sides stressed the need to achieve progress on issues they had agreed upon, according to the press release.
A Malaysian source told Thai PBS World today that the proposed visit of President Donald Trump to the upcoming ASEAN Summit could depend on the progress made during the Thailand–Cambodia consultations in the coming days.
Kevin Kim, deputy Assistant US Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, who attended the meeting in Kuala Lumpur after his visits to Bangkok and Phnom Penh, has been assigned to follow up on the consultations.
The source noted that it was an open secret that Trump wanted Thailand and Cambodia to sign a peace agreement, which he would personally preside over, as he has done with the Gaza–Israel conflict.
Otherwise, Trump might not attend the summit as he had intended earlier. In July, Trump told Anwar that he would attend the upcoming summit.
From October 31 to November 1, Trump will take part in the Asia-Pacific Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Gyeongju, South Korea.
At this juncture, both countries have agreed to have defense officials from ASEAN form part of an Interim Observation Team (IOT) along the border to monitor compliance, as previously agreed.
Sihasak is scheduled to return to Kuala Lumpur on Friday to further discuss the border situation. The Thai side has remained firm on the importance of security and stability along the border.
He added that Cambodia must withdraw heavy weaponry from border areas, join demining efforts, combat transnational crime, and cooperate on the management of border areas, including Ban Nong Chan and Ban Nong Ya Kaeo.
Thailand emphasized the need for Cambodia to demonstrate sincerity so that both sides could achieve their shared goals of peace and stability for the people of the two countries.
