Prime Minister Hun Manet has called on Thailand to honour agreements reached between the two countries and work with Cambodia to resolve their border issues peacefully and in accordance with international law, as Cambodia marks today’s International Day of Peace.

In his September 21 message, Manet noted that countries around the world, including Cambodia, reaffirmed their shared commitment to the values of peace and paid tribute to those who had sacrificed for its cause.

He said historical experience and the current global situation had demonstrated that international law alone could not guarantee peace without genuine political will and firm implementation.

Cambodia, he said, remained firmly committed to respecting sovereignty and equality among states, rejecting the use of force, fulfilling international obligations in good faith, strengthening cooperation and multilateral mechanisms, and resolving disputes peacefully in accordance with international law.

Manet described peace as “the breath of life for Cambodia”, saying it had provided the country with an opportunity to rebuild, reduce poverty, develop its social and economic infrastructure, and deepen its integration into the region and the wider international community.

“Peace has allowed us to focus all our resources on development in every sector, transforming Cambodia into an active and highly responsible actor in international affairs. Under the umbrella of the UN, Cambodia has proudly contributed to global peacekeeping missions,” he said.

Since 2006, Cambodia has deployed a total of 10,912 peacekeepers, including 1,082 women, to UN peacekeeping missions in 10 countries, according to the prime minister. These have included Chad, Sudan, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, Lebanon, Cyprus, Syria, Mali, Yemen and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

However, Manet also referred to Cambodia’s history of war and what he described as recent impacts from violations of the country’s sovereignty by a neighbouring country, in an apparent reference to Thailand.

He called on Thailand to respect the agreements reached between the two countries.

“Having experienced the pain and devastating consequences of war, as well as the impacts of recent aggression against our national sovereignty, we have an even deeper understanding of the priceless value of peace, the broad opportunities created by peace, and the fragility of peace, which we must work together to preserve and protect at all costs,” he said.

Manet explained that the Cambodian government was once again calling on Thailand to honour the agreements reached between the two sides and participate in peacefully resolving their border issues based on international law.

“In this spirit, the Royal Government of Cambodia once again calls on the Thai side to respect the agreements reached, participate in resolving the Cambodia-Thailand border issues peacefully based on international law, reduce tensions, build confidence and work towards restoring peace along the border, as well as peaceful coexistence between the peoples of the two countries as good neighbours,” he said.

The October 2025 Kuala Lumpur Joint Declaration, signed by Manet and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and witnessed by US President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, reaffirmed both countries’ commitments to peaceful settlement of their border dispute and respect for international law. It also called for de-escalation, confidence-building and the use of bilateral mechanisms to address border-related issues.

Manet said Cambodia would continue to uphold the fundamental principles of peace, respect for sovereignty and equality, and peaceful dispute resolution in accordance with international law and without the use of force.

He said these principles were essential to ensuring the security and wellbeing of the people and supporting sustainable and inclusive socioeconomic development.