Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul plans to meet President Donald Trump Sunday in Malaysia and sign a peace declaration with Cambodia overseen by the US leader, proceeding with his overseas travel amid funeral arrangements for the Queen Mother.
The death Friday of Queen Sirikit, wife of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, had thrown into doubt the prime minister’s attendance at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting in Kuala Lumpur.
Trump had been pushing Thailand and Cambodia to sign a peace accord during his Asia trip, and Anutin’s spokesman said earlier this month that the US president was using his demand for an agreement as a bargaining chip in trade negotiations.
While in Malaysia Anutin will hold a bilateral meeting with Trump, the Thai government said in a statement Saturday, “to strengthen cooperation on economic, security and sustainable development issues in the region.”
A spokesman for Thailand’s foreign ministry, Nikorndej Balankura, said in Malaysia Saturday that Thailand and Cambodia will sign a “declaration,” rather than a “peace deal,” as it states they’re “committed to review their relations and work toward the resumption of normalization and diplomatic relations.”
“It’s just the beginning, it’s not an end in itself,” he said, adding that Trump’s support for peace “is commendable and we appreciate that.”
The signing ceremony is expected to be a key feature of Trump’s attendance at the Asean summit. The US president intervened to help secure a fragile ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia after border tensions erupted into military clashes in July. Trump threatened at the time to block trade deals with the countries unless they stopped fighting.
Anutin told reporters earlier Saturday that the signing would be moved to earlier in the day so he can fly back to Bangkok to attend a ceremony for the Queen Mother in the afternoon. Malaysia also said a planned bilateral meeting would be postponed.
Trump said en route to Malaysia that he was traveling to the country because of the role Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim played in helping to halt the fighting. The Malaysian leader will also oversee the event.
“In order to accommodate everyone for this major event, we will be signing the Peace Deal immediately upon arrival,” Trump said in a separate post on Truth Social.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
