KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 26 — United States (US) Secretary of State Marco Rubio hailed Malaysia for doing “a good job” in chairing this year’s Asean.
He said that Asean is the preeminent forum through which the US seeks to engage with the region.
“I think Malaysia has done a good job of chairing it (Asean) this year.
“We used that chairmanship where we were able to work with that chairmanship to de-escalate and ultimately end the Cambodia-Thailand conflict. In fact, we are hopeful that something will be signed here (in Kuala Lumpur),” Rubio told the press travelling on his plane en route from Qatar to Kuala Lumpur.
His statement was shared on the US Department of State’s website.
A joint declaration on a ceasefire is expected to be signed on Sunday between Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet on the sidelines of the 47th Asean Summit.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will witness the signing in his capacity as Asean chair, alongside US President Donald Trump.
Thailand and Cambodia have long been in dispute over their 817-kilometre border, with recent tensions flaring into a military confrontation on July 24.
On July 28, Anwar hosted a high-stakes meeting in Putrajaya (Malaysia’s federal administrative capital) between Manet and then-Thai acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, successfully defusing tensions along the two countries’ shared border.
The ceasefire, widely seen as a significant Asean achievement, prevented a broader military escalation and ensured the safety of thousands of civilians living on both sides of the border.
Malaysia, as this year’s Asean chair, is hosting the 47th Asean Summit from today to Tuesday (October 28) at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC).
The Philippines will be the Asean chair next year.
