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US President Donald Trump has presided over the signing of an expanded ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia, which he helped broker earlier this summer to end their long-running border conflict.
The signing ceremony was held in Kuala Lumpur, shortly after Mr Trump arrived in Malaysia for the ASEAN summit on Sunday. Calling it a “momentous day,” he said, “There was a lot of killing, and we stopped it very quickly.”
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul signed the deal, with both leaders praising the accord. Mr Manet described it as “historic,” while Mr Charnvirakul said it laid “the building blocks for lasting peace.”
Under the agreement, Thailand will release 18 captured Cambodian soldiers, and both nations will withdraw heavy weaponry from their shared border.
President Trump said he had also signed economic agreements with Thailand and Cambodia, and would later finalise a trade deal with Malaysia. The ASEAN summit, he added, aims to strengthen regional cooperation and ties with the United States.
Upon arriving at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Trump was welcomed by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and greeted with a traditional dance performance. The US president briefly joined the dancers before departing in his limousine.
Kuala Lumpur marks the first stop of Trump’s week-long Asia tour, which will also take him to Japan and South Korea. While in South Korea, he is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the APEC summit.
Asked about the US-China trade talks that began on Saturday, US trade negotiator Jamieson Greer said discussions covered a “wide range of issues,” including extending the current trade truce. “I believe the leaders are close to having a very productive meeting,” he added.
Mr Trump is also expected to discuss tariffs with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is among the attendees of the APEC summit.
Meanwhile, East Timor (Timor-Leste) officially joined ASEAN as its 11th member on Sunday — nearly 50 years after its president first envisioned membership while the country was still under Portuguese rule.
Home to 1.4 million people, East Timor is one of Asia’s poorest nations, with an economy of around $2 billion, making up only a small share of ASEAN’s $3.8 trillion GDP. The country hopes joining the bloc will help boost its economic development and integration with the region.
