Thailand and Cambodia agree ‘unconditional' ceasefire following talks
Cambodian prime minister Hun Manet and Thai acting prime minister Phumtham Wechayachai hailed the outcome of the meeting and they shook hands along with Mr Anwar at the conclusion of the brief press conference in Malaysia.
The fighting began on Thursday after a land mine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers.
Both sides blamed each other for starting the clashes, that have killed at least 35 people and displaced more than 260,000 people on both sides.
Mr Hun Manet and Mr Wechayachai have agreed to an 'immediate and unconditional ceasefire' with effect from midnight local time, Mr Anwar said as he read out a joint statement.
Mr Anwar, who hosted the talks as annual chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations regional bloc, said both sides have reached a common understanding to take steps to return to normalcy following what he called frank discussions.
'This is a vital first step towards de-escalation and the restoration of peace and security,' he said.
As part of the ceasefire deal, military commanders from both sides will hold talks today to defuse tensions while Cambodia will host a border committee meeting on August 4, he said.
The foreign and defence ministers of Malaysia, Cambodia and Thailand have also been instructed to 'develop a detailed mechanism' to implement and monitor the ceasefire to ensure sustained peace, he added.
Mr Hun said he hoped that bilateral ties could return to normal soon so that 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 Wechayachai said the outcome reflected 'Thailand's desire for a peaceful resolution'.
The Malaysian meeting followed direct pressure from US President Donald Trump, who has warned that the US 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 that lasted over two hours.
In a press statement, US secretary of state Marco Rubio, who was involved in arranging the meeting, applauded the ceasefire declaration.
Mr Rubio said he and Mr Trump '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'.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted news of the ceasefire on X and wrote: 'President Trump made this happen. Give him the Nobel Peace Prize!'
Mr Wechayachai said after his return to Bangkok that Mr Trump had called to offer congratulations for making a move toward peace and said that Thailand's talks with Washington to set tariff levels on Thai exports could now proceed and that he would seek to make them as favourable as possible.
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