Rubio says US officials are in Malaysia to help in Cambodia-Thailand mediation talks
In a statement released by the State Department late on Sunday, Rubio said he was involved in a discussion with US President Donald Trump and their respective counterparts for Thailand and Cambodia and the two were closely monitoring the situation in Southeast Asia.
'We want this conflict to end as soon as possible. State Department officials are on the ground in Malaysia to assist these peace efforts,' Rubio said on Sunday.
Cambodia and Thailand are scheduled to begin high level talks in Malaysia shortly in hopes of achieving an immediate ceasefire. State Department officials are on the ground in Malaysia to assist these peace efforts. Both @POTUS and I remain engaged with our respective…
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) July 27, 2025
The leaders of Thailand and Cambodia are scheduled to attend mediation talks in Malaysia on Monday over their deadly border conflict, the Thai government has said, as both the warring nations accused each other of launching strikes over contested areas around the border.
On Sunday, the Thai government said a delegation led by acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai would attend the truce talks, after President Trump called up the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia on Saturday to push for an immediate ceasefire. The Thai government added that Malaysia has said Cambodian Prime Minister Hum Manet would also attend the talks.
A brief border skirmish which led to the killing of a Cambodian soldier in late May has triggered tensions between Thailand and Cambodia. Last week, troops at the border on both sides were reinforced amid a diplomatic crisis that brought Thailand's coalition government, which is already fragile, to the brink of a collapse.
The violent conflict has led to the killing of 30 people, including 13 civilians in Thailand and eight in Cambodia. More than 200,000 people have been evacuated from the border areas.
Trump on Sunday told the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia that he would not conclude the trade deals with them unless they ended their fighting.
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