logo
World leaders laud Anwar's efforts in brokering peace

World leaders laud Anwar's efforts in brokering peace

The Stara day ago
Twin joy: Double rainbows appearing behind Cambodians travelling near temporary shelters after the leaders of Cambodia and Thailand agreed to a truce in Srei Snam, Cambodia. — Reuters
IPOH: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been lauded for the successful mediation between Thailand and Cambodia, which saw the two countries agreeing to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said his country is grateful to Malaysia for hosting ceasefire talks between Thailand and Cambodia, and applauds the ceasefire declaration.
'President Trump and I are committed to an immediate cessation of violence and expect the governments of Cambodia and Thailand to fully honour their commitments to end this conflict.
'We are grateful to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for his leadership and for hosting the ceasefire talks.
'We urge all parties to follow through on their commitments. The United States will remain committed to and engaged in this US-Malaysia organised process to end this conflict,' he said.
German government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius said Chancellor Friedrich Merz had spoken to Anwar to express his appreciation.
'The task now is to further de-escalate the conflict,' said Merz, who also praised the good relations between Germany and Malaysia.
'As the current Chair of Asean and, bilaterally, Malaysia is an important partner for Germany in the region,' he said.
A French Embassy spokesperson said France commended the Prime Minister's role in the matter.
'France welcomes the announce­ment of a ceasefire and the resumption of dialogue between Cambodia and Thailand following the meeting between the Prime Ministers of the two countries in Malaysia.
'It calls for the effective implementation of the ceasefire.
'This significant progress must be the starting point for a lasting settlement of disputes through peaceful means, in accordance with international law.
'France reiterates its willingness to contribute to international efforts, particularly those of Asean in this regard,' said the spokesperson.
European Union vice-president Kaja Kallas described the ceasefire agreement as a major breakthrough.
'It's vital both countries implement it in good faith. I thank Malaysia as Asean Chair for helping facilitate the negotiation process,' she said on X.
Australia's Foreign Affairs Minister Senator Penny Wong called for both parties to honour the ceasefire and work towards a lasting and peaceful resolution.
'We appreciate Anwar and Malaysia's leadership as Asean Chair, and the role played by President Trump,' she said on X.
The historic ceasefire made headlines in top world news organisations.
This is not the first time Malaysia has played a significant role in mediating regional conflicts.
The country has long earned trust as a neutral peace broker, having previously contributed to peace efforts in Aceh, southern Thailand and the southern Philippines.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Vietnam, Malaysia Prime Ministers discuss regional and bilateral issues in phone call
Vietnam, Malaysia Prime Ministers discuss regional and bilateral issues in phone call

The Star

time13 minutes ago

  • The Star

Vietnam, Malaysia Prime Ministers discuss regional and bilateral issues in phone call

FILE PHOTO: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim receives a courtesy call from Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Rio De Janeiro on July 7, 2025. - Bernama --fotoBERNAMA (2025) COPYRIGHT RESERVED HANOI: Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim held a phone conversation on Wednesday to discuss regional developments and bilateral cooperation, according to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA). During the conversation, Anwar briefed the Vietnamese leader on Malaysia's initiatives as Asean Chair to address escalating tensions along the Cambodia-Thailand border. He emphasised Malaysia's commitment to promoting dialogue and ensuring solidarity and unity in handling the issue. Anwar called on Cambodia and Thailand to exercise restraint, refrain from the use of force, and resolve differences peacefully and satisfactorily in accordance with international law, the UN Charter, the Asean Charter, and the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in South-East Asia. Chinh, for his part, expressed appreciation for the frequent exchanges between the two leaders on matters of mutual concern, stating they reflected the growing political trust between Vietnam and Malaysia, which exemplifies the spirit of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. He hailed the efforts by Anwar, as well as Malaysia, the Asean Chair this year, in promoting the settlement of the Cambodia-Thailand border tensions. He specifically highlighted the July 28 meeting organised between the Cambodian Prime Minister and the Acting Thai Prime Minister, which led to a ceasefire agreement-the first positive step towards controlling the escalation of conflict between the two countries. Vietnam always supports and stands ready to join Asean's efforts and work closely with Malaysia in addressing regional issues while upholding the bloc's solidarity, he said, highlighting that Vietnam is prepared to send representatives to Asean-led mechanisms to ensure the implementation of the ceasefire and to provide humanitarian assistance to affected people in both countries. Regarding bilateral cooperation, the two Prime Ministers agreed to continue exchanges aimed at strengthening trust and implementing measures to deepen their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Priority areas include enhanced collaboration in innovation, science and technology, and energy sectors, with particular focus on power transmission projects connecting Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore to form the Asean power grid. The leaders also discussed expediting the signing of a rice trade agreement, enabling Vietnam to support Malaysia in ensuring food security. The two Prime Ministers exchanged their views on regional and international issues of mutual concern, such as trade and tariff policies, highlighting their commitments to peace, stability and prosperity for their nations, the region and the world. - Bernama

Trump gets his way on tariffs, but global trade system intact for now
Trump gets his way on tariffs, but global trade system intact for now

New Straits Times

time13 minutes ago

  • New Straits Times

Trump gets his way on tariffs, but global trade system intact for now

PARIS: President Donald Trump has succeeded in strong-arming nations to accept higher tariffs on US exports, yet for now experts see little threat to the postwar trend of lower duties in the pursuit of greater wealth all around. Since World War II, most politicians and economists view free trade as a pillar of globalisation, enshrined in the 1947 signing of the GATT accord. It was the precursor to the World Trade Organisation, which now has 166 members and covers 98 percent of global commerce. "What we've learned in the postwar is that lower tariffs are better for prosperity of your own country," said Richard Baldwin, a professor at the IMD Business School in Switzerland. "And it's also good if other countries lower their tariffs, so we have a vibrant international economy," Baldwin, who was a member of US president George Bush's Council of Economic Advisors, told AFP. Trump however has embarked on a punishing trade war, claiming that deficits with other nations show they are "ripping off" the United States. He has recently landed accords with Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia and, most importantly, the European Union. For dozens of other nations, US "reciprocal" tariffs are to jump from 10 percent to various steeper levels come August 1, including powerhouse economies such as South Korea, India and Taiwan. "To me, the most beautiful word in the dictionary is 'tariff'," Trump repeatedly said during the 2024 election campaign that returned him to office. Despite the headline figures, many economists expect the fallout for the global trade system overall to be limited. US importers may well decide to procure more from American producers as the tariffs are applied, or pass along the higher costs to consumers. "That won't have a systemic impact" outside the United States, Pascal Lamy, a former WTO chief, told AFP, calling the tariffs a "Pyrrhic victory" for Trump. He noted that Trump is targeting only the US deficits for goods and not services, "the part of global trade that is increasing the fastest." "You need to change your outlook when it comes to international trade," Lamy said, adding that "Donald Trump has a medieval view" of the issue. And instead of making a country more prosperous, the accepted economic wisdom is that by making goods more expensive, tariffs weigh on economic growth for everyone involved. "Putting up your own tariffs is not a way to make yourself richer – that's something that people have given up on many years ago," Baldwin said. "Trump has not screwed up the entire world trading system yet because the rest of the world hasn't changed their opinion as to whether trade is good or bad," he said. "And generally speaking, it's good." Global trade has risen sharply in recent decades, totalling nearly US$24 trillion in 2023, according to WTO figures. US imports represent just 13 per cent of overall imports – meaning the vast majority of international commerce will not be directly affected by Trump's levies. "It's significant, but it's only a small part of imports worldwide, and the rest of the world still wants the system of engagement and interdependence to work," said Elvire Fabry, a specialist in geopolitical economics at the Jacques Delors Institute. Several countries have moved in recent years to forge new trade deals, a trend Trump's tariffs blitz could accelerate. In March, Japan, South Korea and China pledged to speed up negotiations on an accord, while Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has called for a deal between the Mercosur Latin America bloc and Japan. The European Union has also signed a free-trade deal with Mercosur, though its ratification has been held up, in particular by France over concerns about unfair agriculture competition. The EU has also relaunched efforts to secure a deal with Malaysia and countries in Central Asia. In April, the WTO said world merchandise trade would fall 0.2 per cent this year before a "modest" recovery to growth of 2.5 per cent in 2026. But those forecasts took into account only the tariffs Trump had announced up to then – not the more severe levels he has threatened to put in place starting August 1 for countries that have not signed deals with Washington.

Praise Trump and speak simply: How the South Korean team negotiated its trade deal
Praise Trump and speak simply: How the South Korean team negotiated its trade deal

The Star

time13 minutes ago

  • The Star

Praise Trump and speak simply: How the South Korean team negotiated its trade deal

SEOUL (Reuters) -The South Korean ministers tasked with negotiating a last-ditch trade deal with U.S. President Donald Trump said that to prepare they role-played and solicited tips for engaging with the unpredictable leader. Among the advice they received? Call Trump a "great person" and speak as simply as possible, Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan told reporters in Washington after the deal was announced on Wednesday. The stakes were particularly high for South Korea, a major export-driven economy, and Kim and other members of the delegation have only been on the job for a few weeks after President Lee Jae Myung won a snap election in June. Kim called Trump a "master of negotiations" and said each of the team, which included Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol and Minister for Trade Yeo Han-koo, took turns role-playing as the U.S. president to prepare. "We tried to talk like President Trump, and President Trump's way of talking is very terse and straightforward," Kim said. "We prepared a lot of scenarios on our own on how to answer this or that question." Koo said the team only knew for sure they would be meeting Trump when they saw it on social media. The meeting itself went for about half an hour and the two sides went back and forth on the amount of the investment fund, which was eventually settled at $350 billion, Koo said. "We collected a lot of negotiation strategies used by our counterparts in advance and thought a lot about how to respond, so the negotiation was very smooth," he said. Yeo quoted Trump as saying his personal involvement is rare in dealing with officials who are not heads of state, and means "he respects South Korea very much and attaches great importance to South Korea." Earlier in the talks the U.S. had pressed South Korea to lift restrictions on imports derived from cattle older than 30 months, but Yeo helped defuse that by showing the Americans a photo of massive protests that occurred years ago over concerns about mad cow disease. "I think it helped them to understand the situation in Korea," Kim said. (Reporting by Joyce Lee and Josh Smith; Additional reporting by Ju-min Park; Writing by Josh Smith; Editing by Stephen Coates)

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store