Thailand and Cambodia sign joint declaration after months of border clashes
Thailand and Cambodia have signed a “joint statement on relations” aimed at ending months of tensions following deadly border clashes earlier this year. The signing took place in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday on the sidelines of the 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit.
Thai prime minister Anutin Charnvirakul and his Cambodian counterpart Hun Manet signed the joint statement as did US president Donald Trump, who helped mediate the talks alongside Malaysia. Trump described it as a “peace agreement.”
While Trump referred to it as a “historic” peace deal, Malaysia presented it as a ceasefire, and Thai officials were careful to temper expectations. After the ceremony, Thai foreign minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said he preferred the title “Joint Declaration by the prime ministers of Thailand and Cambodia on the outcomes of their meeting in Kuala Lumpur,” describing it instead as “a pathway to peace.”
The signing follows five days of intense fighting in July along parts of the 800-kilometre border between the two nations. At least 43 people were killed, and more than 300,000 civilians were displaced. The long-standing dispute centres on the demarcation of certain border areas, reignited when Thailand accused Cambodia of laying mines that injured Thai soldiers. A ceasefire was reached on 29 July after US mediation, though both sides have since accused each other of violating it.
Terms of declaration
According to the Thai ministry of defence, Sunday’s declaration includes commitments to withdraw heavy weapons from the border zone and to launch a joint demining operation. Hun Manet described the agreement as a “historic moment.” Eighteen Cambodian soldiers who remain prisoners of war in Thailand are now expected to be released, according to Trump, who said he was “proud to have contributed to a solution” while criticising the United Nations for its “inaction.”
Trade minerals pact
The signing in Kuala Lumpur also coincided with a broader diplomatic push by Washington in the region. Earlier on Sunday, Trump and Malaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim signed a trade and minerals pact, the first major stop on the US president’s multi-day tour of Southeast Asia. According to US trade representative Jamieson Greer, the deal will benefit agriculture, technology and services, while also strengthening cooperation on rare earths and other critical minerals.
Malaysia agreed not to impose export bans or quotas and to involve American companies in mineral extraction. Anwar described the agreement as “a significant milestone.”
Trump also signed separate trade agreements with Thailand and Cambodia, offering exemptions on reciprocal import duties and pledging increased economic cooperation alongside the ceasefire.
Trump's next moves
The Kuala Lumpur visit marks the start of Trump’s regional tour. After Malaysia, he will travel to Tokyo on 27 October to meet Japan’s newly appointed Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, the country’s first female leader. On 29 October, he is due to fly to South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, where he is expected to meet South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. Trump is also scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the summit on 30 October, though a potential meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un remains speculative.
Malaysia's prime minister Anwar Ibrahim (L) and US president Donald Trump (R) watch as Thailand's prime minister Anutin Charnvirakul (2nd L) and Cambodia's prime minister Hun Manet (2nd R) hold up a document after the ceremonial signing of a ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia on the sidelines of the 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Kuala Lumpur on October 26, 2025. © PHOTO MOHD RASFAN / POOL / AFP
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