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US ready to facilitate peace talks between Cambodia, Thailand — Rubio

US Secretary of State spoke with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet to "express concern about the ongoing violence between Cambodia and Thailand"

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio AP Photo/Alex Brandon

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio

© AP Photo/Alex Brandon

WASHINGTON, December 26. /TASS/. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a telephone conversation with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, stated that Washington is ready to facilitate dialogue between Phnom Penh and Bangkok regarding a cessation of hostilities, Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a written statement.

According to him, Rubio spoke with Hun Manet to "express concern about the ongoing violence between Cambodia and Thailand." The US Secretary of State "reiterated [US] President [Donald] Trump’s desire for peace and the need to fully implement the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords."

"Secretary Rubio further reaffirmed that the United States is prepared to facilitate discussions to ensure peace and stability between Cambodia and Thailand," Pigott added.

Clashes involving small arms began on the border between Thailand and Cambodia on December 7. According to the Cambodian National Defense Ministry, after several days of provocative actions by the Thai armed forces aimed at igniting a new round of confrontation in the border areas, they began attacking Cambodian positions. On December 12, US President Donald Trump said that he had spoken by phone with the prime ministers of Thailand and Cambodia and that the two leaders agreed to cease hostilities within 24 hours and return to the implementation of peace agreements. However, after that fighting continued.

Earlier this week, the Thai Foreign Ministry reported, citing the kingdom’s Defense Ministry, that a high-level meeting of the General Border Committee of Thailand and Cambodia to discuss establishing a ceasefire between the countries will be held on December 27. The countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) welcomed the start of discussions on the possibility of establishing a ceasefire in the border conflict zone between Thailand and Cambodia.

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