US President Donald Trump will attend the ceremonial signing of a peace agreement between Thailand and Cambodia at an upcoming summit of Southeast Asian nations, the foreign minister of host Malaysia said on Tuesday.
Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia erupted in July into the deadliest military clashes in decades, killing more than 40 people and forcing around 300,000 to flee their homes.
The two sides agreed to a ceasefire — brokered in part by Trump — after five days of fighting, and have since repeatedly traded accusations of truce violations.
Donald Trump “is looking forward to witnessing the Thailand-Cambodia peace deal,” Mohamad Hasan told reporters at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur.
The US leader is expected to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in the Malaysian capital from October 26-28.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet has said he nominated the US president for a Nobel Peace Prize, crediting him with “innovative diplomacy” that ended the clashes.
Thailand’s prime minister Anutin Charnvirakul said last week that he received a letter from Trump, with the US leader saying he wanted to see the two fighting neighbours resolve tensions.
