Khaberni - U.S. President Donald Trump attended on Sunday in Kuala Lumpur the signing of a ceasefire agreement between Cambodia and Thailand, shortly after his arrival at the Malaysian capital, marking the first stop of an Asian tour during which he will meet with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.
The agreement was signed by the Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul; Trump, who is visiting the Malaysian capital for a day to participate in the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, signed it before heading to Japan and South Korea.
Trump said that the peace agreement between Thailand and Cambodia, aimed at ending the border conflict between the two countries, could save millions of lives.
Trump added in a post on Truth Social from aboard the presidential plane, that the Prime Minister of Thailand, who requested a postponement of the signing due to the death of the Queen Mother, will be ready "when we land".
He added, "Unfortunately, the Queen Mother of Thailand has passed away. I extend my deepest condolences to the great people of Thailand", continuing "To allow everyone the opportunity to attend this major event, we will sign the peace agreement as soon as we arrive."
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul postponed his departure for the ASEAN leaders' summit in Malaysia on Saturday following the death of the Queen Mother, but expressed his desire to attend the signing of the peace agreement.
Anutin told reporters, "I canceled my trip to Malaysia today. However, with regard to the peace agreement between Thailand and Cambodia attended by the Prime Minister of Malaysia and the U.S. President, I asked them to postpone it until tomorrow morning."
The Royal Palace in Thailand announced the death of the former queen Sirikit, the mother of the current king Vajiralongkorn and wife of the late king Bhumibol Adulyadej who ruled the country for the longest period between 1946 and 2016, on Friday at the age of 93.
A border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia erupted in July before escalating into the most violent military clashes between the two countries in decades, resulting in the deaths of more than 40 people and displacing about 300,000.
After five days of fighting, the two sides agreed to a ceasefire mediated by Trump, and since then they have been accusing each other of violating the truce.
