Thailand and Cambodia agree immediate and unconditional ceasefire
Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet, left and Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, right, shake hands as Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim gestures after talks in Putrajaya, Malaysia (Mohd Rasfan/Pool Photo via AP)
'This is a vital first step towards de-escalation and the restoration of peace and security,' Mr Anwar said.
Military and officials from both sides will also hold meetings to defuse border tensions, he said.
The foreign and defence ministers of Malaysia, Cambodia and Thailand have been instructed to 'develop a detailed mechanism' to implement and monitor the ceasefire to ensure sustained peace, he added.
Mr Hun Manet and Mr Phumtham hailed the outcome of the meeting and shook hands at the conclusion of the brief press conference.
Mr Hun Manet said he hoped that bilateral ties could return to normal soon so that some 300,000 villagers evacuated on both sides could return home.
It is 'time to start rebuilding trust, confidence and co-operation going forward between Thailand and Cambodia', he said.
Mr Phumtham said the outcome reflected 'Thailand's desire for a peaceful resolution'.
The fighting flared last Thursday after a land mine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers.
Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet, centre, speaks during a press conference next to Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, centre right, and Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim after talks in Putrajaya, Malaysia (Mohd Rasfan/Pool Photo via AP)
Both sides blamed each other for starting the clashes, which have killed at least 35 people and displaced more than 260,000 people on both sides.
Both countries recalled their ambassadors and Thailand shut all border crossings with Cambodia, with an exception for migrant Cambodian workers returning home.
The Malaysian meeting followed direct pressure from US President Donald Trump, who has warned that the United States may not proceed with trade deals with either country if hostilities continue.
The joint statement said that the US is a co-organiser of the talks, with participation from China.
The Chinese and American ambassadors to Malaysia attended the meeting, which lasted more than two hours.
The violence marks a rare instance of open military confrontation between ASEAN member states, a 10-nation regional bloc that has prided itself on non-aggression, peaceful dialogue and economic co-operation.
Evacuees from both sides of the border earlier prayed for a ceasefire deal.
At an evacuation shelter in Cambodia's Siem Reap province far away from the border, Ron Mao, 56, said she and her family fled their home a kilometre (0.6 miles) away from the front line when fighting broke out on Thursday.
Thai residents who fled their homes following the clashes between Thai and Cambodian soldiers celebrate at an evacuation centre in Surin province, Thailand, after hearing news of an 'immediate and unconditional' ceasefire (Sakchai Lalit/AP)
They took refuge in a shelter but moved again to another camp further away after hearing artillery shelling.
'I don't want to see this war happen. It's very difficult and I don't want to run around like this,' she said.
'When I heard our prime minister go to negotiate for peace, I would be very happy if they reached the deal as soon as possible, so that I and my children can return home as soon as possible.'
Thai evacuees echoed the sentiment.
'I beg the government. I want it to end quickly,' said farmer Nakorn Jomkamsing at an evacuation camp in Surin hosting more than 6,000 people.
'I want to live peacefully. I miss my home, my pets, my pigs, dogs and chicken,' the 63-year-old woman said.
The 800-kilometre (500-mile) frontier between Thailand and Cambodia has been disputed for decades, but past confrontations have been limited and brief.
The latest tensions erupted in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a confrontation that created a diplomatic rift and rocked Thailand's domestic politics.
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