U.S. Assistant Secretary of State: President Donald Trump Continues to Pay Close Attention to the Cambodia–Thailand Border Situation and the Implementation of the Kuala Lumpur Joint Declaration
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State: President Donald Trump Continues to Pay Close Attention to the Cambodia–Thailand Border Situation and the Implementation of the Kuala Lumpur Joint Declaration
On the morning of 10 January 2026 at the Peace Palace, Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei HUN Manet, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, received a courtesy call from His Excellency Michael George DeSombre, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs.
His Excellency DeSombre informed Samdech Borvor Thipadei that the United States Government, particularly President Donald J. Trump, continues to pay close attention to the Cambodia–Thailand border situation and the implementation of the spirit of the Kuala Lumpur Joint Declaration, dated 26 October 2025. He also expressed his pleasure at the release of 18 Cambodian soldiers, who have returned to reunite with their families. Furthermore, His Excellency DeSombre emphasised that the United States continues to urge the implementation of the ceasefire and wishes to see lasting peace between Cambodia and Thailand. He announced that the United States will provide USD 15 million in assistance to support displaced families along the borders of both countries, as well as USD 10 million for demining and unexploded ordnance (UXO) clearance in Cambodia.
Samdech Borvor Thipadei expressed his gratitude to President Donald J. Trump and the United States Government for their role in coordinating the ceasefire and the Kuala Lumpur Joint Declaration of 26 October 2025, as well as for their continued commitment to peacebuilding between Cambodia and Thailand. He also conveyed his appreciation for the assistance pledged to restore the livelihoods of displaced families and to support demining efforts. Samdech Borvor Thipadei reaffirmed that Cambodia consistently values peace and remains firmly committed to resolving border issues through peaceful means, in accordance with international law, treaties, conventions, and bilateral agreements. He expressed hope that the United States would continue to encourage both parties to fully implement the Kuala Lumpur Joint Declaration and the Joint Statement of the Third Special Meeting of the General Border Committee (GBC), dated 27 December 2025, particularly with regard to the safe return of civilians to their homes without obstruction and the resumption of the Joint Commission on Demarcation for Land Boundary (JBC) to conduct surveys and demarcate the land boundary as a foundation for long-term peace.
Samdech Borvor Thipadei and His Excellency DeSombre also highly valued the significant progress in Cambodia–United States relations and agreed to continue promoting concrete measures to strengthen and expand cooperation in trade and investment, defence and security, people-to-people exchanges, and law enforcement, including combating transnational crime and online scams. His Excellency DeSombre announced that the United States will provide USD 10 million in assistance to support Cambodia’s capacity-building efforts in combating online scams.
SP-STPM Unofficial Translation
