The United States and Russia have called on Cambodia and Thailand to end violence as the two countries continue talks to end weeks of deadly clashes.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated President Donald Trump’s desire for peace in a call with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, according to a statement issued by the State Department on Thursday.
“Secretary Rubio further reaffirmed that the United States is prepared to facilitate discussions to ensure peace and stability between Cambodia and Thailand,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said.
Meanwhile, Russia has urged Thailand and Cambodia to accelerate efforts to revive peace talks through existing bilateral mechanisms to resolve conflicts, according to Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.
In comments posted on the Facebook page of the Russian Embassy in Bangkok, Ms Zakharova stressed that the conflict was particularly troubling given that both countries had long-standing relations with Russia.
Moscow, she said, was encouraged by indications that Bangkok and Phnom Penh plan to reactivate dialogue through existing bilateral mechanisms, including commitments embedded in the joint declaration that was signed during the Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur on Oct 26.
Thailand and Cambodia are talking for the first time since clashes began on Dec 7, with at least 44 people killed and more than half a million civilians displaced on both sides of the border.
The two countries’ defence ministers are scheduled to attend the General Border Committee meeting in Chanthaburi on Saturday, where they hope to sign a ceasefire with a 72-hour monitoring period.
Five days of clashes in July ended with an initial ceasefire agreement mediated by Malaysia and the US.
