KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, 27 October (H.S.): U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday oversaw the signing of a peace accord between Thailand and Cambodia, hailing the agreement as a historic step toward ending a long-standing and often violent border dispute.

The Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord, signed on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit, establishes a framework to de-escalate military tensions but stops short of resolving the fundamental territorial disagreements between the two nations.

The ceremony, which took place on October 26, 2025, formalizes a ceasefire that Trump helped mediate in July after a deadly five-day border clash killed at least 40 people and displaced thousands. Under the terms of the new agreement, both countries have committed to withdrawing heavy weapons from the disputed region.

The process will be monitored by an interim observer team from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), including forces from Malaysia. Additionally, Thailand agreed to release 18 Cambodian soldiers who had been detained since the July conflict.

President Trump, who made the signing a centerpiece of his visit to Asia, lauded the deal as a major diplomatic victory, calling it the eighth conflict his administration has resolved in eight months.

We accomplished something that many deemed impossible, Trump stated, reminiscing about how he had intervened from his golf course in Scotland to halt the fighting in July by threatening to suspend trade negotiations.

.While Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet called the signing a historic day and reiterated his intention to nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, others were more circumspect.

The formal text of the agreement is described as a joint declaration rather than a peace treaty, and Thai officials noted that while the U.S. played a role in facilitating discussions, the core negotiations remained bilateral. Key issues, including the final border demarcation, are still unresolved.The signing coincided with the announcement of new reciprocal trade deals between the U.S. and both Cambodia and Malaysia, as well as a framework for a similar agreement with Thailand.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar