“CRITICAL JUNCTURE IN REGIONAL AND GLOBAL AFFAIRS”
Earlier in the day, in his opening remarks ahead of the special meeting, Malaysia Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said that the ASEAN grouping “stands at a critical juncture in regional and global affairs”.
Malaysia is the current chair of the bloc, with the Philippines set to take over officially on Jan 1.
Mohamad had warned that geopolitical disruptions “challenge the very foundations of our regional order”.
“This threatens ASEAN’s credibility as one of the most peaceful and successful regional organisations and integration projects in modern history,” he told officials.
Mohamad added that Anwar has urged both Thailand and Cambodia to undertake full and effective implementation of previous ceasefire agreements as well as the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord that was signed on Oct 26.
In his remarks, Mohamad stressed that ASEAN must do whatever is necessary to maintain regional peace and stability.
“Our goal goes beyond de-escalating the tension. We must intensify trust-building among the conflicting parties and provide the horizons for dialogue despite the prevailing differences,” he said.
EASING TENSION, SAFEGUARDING REGIONAL PEACE
Ahead of Monday’s special ASEAN meeting, Anwar urged both countries to “uphold the spirit of dialogue, wisdom and mutual respect” to ease tensions and safeguard regional peace and stability.
Anwar had said that the meeting would be used to present facts from the ground, including findings from an ASEAN observer team and US satellite imagery.
The meeting “will serve as an appropriate and constructive platform for the two countries to engage in open negotiations, resolve their differences peacefully, and work towards a just and lasting solution”, he wrote on social media on Dec 21.
In a Facebook post, Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan said that Singapore is “deeply concerned” about the situation between Thailand and Cambodia and reports of casualties on both sides.
Dr Balakrishnan called the ASEAN foreign minister meeting “an important step” to discussing the resumption of the ceasefire and that Singapore welcomes the convening of ceasefire talks.
“I urged our colleagues from both sides to de-escalate the situation, resume talks and resolve their dispute peacefully,” he added.
“As ASEAN, our collective future is brighter only if we stand united.”
Thailand and Cambodia have long disputed sovereignty over several areas along their land border.