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Shared responsibility key to Thailand-Cambodia peace, says Anwar

Shared responsibility key to Thailand-Cambodia peace, says Anwar

KOTA BARU: The successful peace negotiations and ceasefire in the Thailand–Cambodia conflict resulted from shared responsibility, including strong leadership from Asean.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the success was also due to the outstanding efforts of Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan and Armed Forces Chief General Tan Sri Mohd Nizam Jaffar.
"The Armed Forces Chief performed his duties excellently, flying immediately to Bangkok, Phnom Penh, and the border to hold discussions with the generals in charge.
"That's how it should be done... Not just by me alone.
"I played my part, the Foreign Minister engaged his counterparts, and the General met with his counterparts. Only then were we able to swiftly achieve this peace negotiation for the first time… Alhamdulillah," he said in his speech today.
Anwar added that the success of the Thailand–Cambodia peace negotiations had drawn the attention of US President Donald Trump, who expressed his gratitude.
He said he told Trump the achievement was the result of cooperation among many parties, with Trump expressing interest in visiting Kuala Lumpur this October.
"Trump called to thank us, but I told him the peace deal was not my doing alone... It involved other Asean leaders, as well as the governments of Thailand and Cambodia.
"Trump and China also played roles, and he was pleased about it. He said he wants to come to Kuala Lumpur in October."
Anwar added that Malaysia remains a friend to all Asean countries, including China and the United States.
"China is a close friend, while the US has long been a key trading partner. Malaysia enjoys political stability and has a clear policy direction.
"We are doing our best to clean up the system from unhealthy past practices," he said.
Earlier, Anwar attended the Rancakkan Madani Kelantan programme at the Main Hall of Universiti Sains Malaysia Health Campus in Kubang Kerian.
Also present were Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir and Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Mohd Nassuruddin Daud.
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