The leaders of Thailand and Cambodia agreed on Thursday to pursue trust-building measures to advance a fragile ceasefire and establish peace, after rare talks over last year’s deadly fighting between the two neighbours.
Troops remain deployed on both sides of their long-disputed 817km (508-mile) border after battles in July and December when skirmishes quickly escalated into air strikes and heavy exchanges of artillery and rockets.
The Philippines, which is hosting Asean meetings on the island of Cebu, arranged the talks between Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai counterpart Anutin Charnvirakul, after months without engagement.
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“Thailand and Cambodia are two neighbouring countries. It is best that we avoid conflict, it only brings losses and suffering,” said Anutin, who was swept back to power in a February election on a wave of nationalism fuelled by the conflict.
“Now is the time for us to look forward and walk this path together towards peace.”
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Close to 150 people were killed and at least 300,000 displaced by the two rounds of fighting, which each country accused the other of starting.
The first outbreak was settled in July after five days following an intervention by US President Donald Trump, who oversaw the signing of a troop withdrawal pact in October during an Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit.