Kuala Lumpur: The leaders of Thailand and Cambodia signed an expanded ceasefire agreement, marking a significant step toward restoring peace along their shared border.
The ceremony was attended by US President Donald Trump, who arrived in Malaysia for the ASEAN Summit and a series of high-level trade meetings. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and his Cambodian counterpart, Hun Manet, formalised the agreement at a ceremony held under a banner reading “Delivering Peace.”
The deal builds on a truce signed three months ago, which helped end one of the most intense border clashes between the two countries in recent years.
“This declaration, if fully implemented, will provide the building blocks for a lasting peace,” Hun Manet said. “Our border communities have been divided by conflict, and innocent civilians have suffered immense losses.”
HISTORIC PEACE BETWEEN THAILAND & CAMBODIA.
President Trump and Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim hosted the Prime Ministers of Thailand and Cambodia for the signing of the ‘Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords’—a historic peace declaration. pic.twitter.com/BZRJ2b2KLY
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 26, 2025
Trump, who mediated an end to the five-day conflict in July, played a central role in encouraging both nations to pursue peace. At that time, he had warned that their ongoing trade negotiations with Washington could be suspended if hostilities continued.
“The United States will have strong commerce and cooperation, transactions, lots of them, with both nations as long as they live in peace,” Trump said during Sunday’s ceremony.
The border conflict, which erupted earlier this year, claimed at least 48 lives and displaced about 300,000 people as rockets and heavy artillery were exchanged. Each side accused the other of triggering the violence.
Despite the death of Thailand’s Queen Mother Sirikit on Friday, Anutin decided to attend the signing. He announced that both countries would withdraw heavy weaponry from border zones and that Thailand would release 18 detained Cambodian soldiers as a gesture of goodwill.
រួមជាមួយ ឯកឧត្តម Anutin Charnvirakul នាយករដ្ឋមន្រ្តីនៃព្រះរាជាណាចក្រថៃ ចុះហត្ថលេខារួមគ្នាលើឯកសារ «សេចក្តីថ្លែងការណ៍រួម» ក្រោមការចូលរួមជាសាក្ខីពីសំណាក់… pic.twitter.com/gBQRWVzHwU
— Samdech Thipadei HUN MANET (@Dr_Hunmanet_PM) October 26, 2025
Trade and Regional Diplomacy
Trump arrived in Kuala Lumpur earlier in the day, where he was greeted by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and a traditional dance troupe at the airport.
On the sidelines of the summit, US and Chinese negotiators held intensive discussions to ease tensions in the ongoing trade dispute between the world’s two largest economies.
Rare earth minerals featured prominently in the discussions. Trump announced that the US would soon sign critical minerals deals with Thailand and Malaysia, and said that a broader trade agreement with Cambodia was also under consideration.
Later on Sunday, Trump is scheduled to meet Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to discuss US tariffs on Brazilian goods. Talks with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, however, have been suspended after discussions between the two nations broke down.
East Timor Joins ASEAN as 11th Member
In a historic moment at the summit, East Timor officially joined the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), becoming its 11th member after a 14-year wait.
In a historic occasion for the region, the Signing of the Declaration on the Admission of Timor-Leste into ASEAN took place at the Opening Ceremony of the 47th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits, held on 26 October 2025. The Declaration was signed by ASEAN Leaders together with… pic.twitter.com/Ym4CeK6bkU
— ASEAN (@ASEAN) October 26, 2025
The young nation, also known as Timor-Leste, has a population of 1.4 million and a developing economy valued at about $2 billion, tiny compared with ASEAN’s collective $3.8 trillion GDP.
“For the people of Timor-Leste, this is not only a dream realised but a powerful affirmation of our journey,” Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao said. “Our accession is a testament to the spirit of our people, a young democracy born from our struggle,” he added.
President Jose Ramos-Horta, a longtime advocate for ASEAN membership, remarked on the moment as a defining step in the nation’s international integration.
