US Secretary of State Rubio said on Friday that the United States hopes the armies of Thailand and Cambodia can reach a new ceasefire agreement early next week to end the conflict between the two sides.
Rubio told AFP reporters: “We are working to urge both parties to abide by the ceasefire agreement. We are cautiously optimistic that we can reach an agreement by Monday or Tuesday next week.”
ASEAN foreign ministers will meet in Kuala Lumpur on Monday to discuss the crisis.
Rubio spoke with Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phongphakdi by phone on Thursday, and stated that the US government will hold further consultations with the Thai side over the weekend.
Earlier this year, President Trump claimed victory after he urged both sides to reach an earlier ceasefire, and listed Thailand and Cambodia among the wars he claimed to have resolved.
Rubio said: “Both sides have signed written commitments.”
“Since both sides claim to harbor grievances against each other, these commitments are currently not being honored, so the current work is to get them back to the negotiating table.”
He defended the US government’s record, saying its diplomatic efforts “did indeed stop the fighting,” even though the fighting later resumed.
The conflict stems from a colonial-era territorial dispute over the 800-kilometer border between the two countries, as well as scattered ancient temple sites along the border.
According to officials, the new round of conflict this month has resulted in at least 21 deaths in Thailand, at least 18 deaths in Cambodia, and more than 800,000 people displaced.