ASEAN Chair’s Statement 

Special ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting 

on the Current Situation Between Cambodia and Thailand 

22 December 2025, Kuala Lumpur 

1. The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of ASEAN convened a Special Meeting to address the current situation between Cambodia and Thailand in Kuala Lumpur on 22 December 2025, pursuant to the decision of the Prime Ministers of Malaysia, Cambodia and Thailand on 11 December 2025.

 2. Malaysia briefed the Meeting on the efforts undertaken by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, as ASEAN Chair, to encourage both Cambodia and Thailand to cease hostilities. The Meeting was also briefed by the ASEAN Observer Team (AOT) based on the AOT’s mandate. Cambodia and Thailand shared their respective positions. 

3. The Meeting appreciated the proactive role and continued engagement by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and President Donald J. Trump, with active participation of ASEAN Member States and China, in promoting a peaceful resolution to the ongoing situation. The Meeting was encouraged by the willingness and readiness of Prime Minister Hun Manet and Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul in continuing to engage the ASEAN Chair towards easing tensions and preventing any misunderstandings that could further escalate the situation. 

4. The Meeting reaffirmed the commitment to ASEAN unity and solidarity, as well as ASEAN Centrality in ensuring regional peace, security, stability and prosperity, in accordance with the ASEAN Charter. 

5. The Meeting recalled the ceasefire arrangement of 28 July, the decisions of the Extraordinary General Border Committee (GBC) Meeting of 7 August, as well as the Kuala Lumpur Joint Declaration signed on 26 October 2025, and urged both Cambodia and Thailand to fully and effectively implement them.

6. The Meeting expressed serious concerns on the continued tensions and hostilities, which have resulted in significant casualties, damage to civilian infrastructure, and displacement of civilians on both sides of the border, and called upon both parties to ensure that civilians residing in the affected border areas are able to return, without obstruction and in safety and dignity, to their homes and normal livelihoods as they existed prior to the outbreak of hostilities. 

7. The Meeting reaffirmed the shared commitment to refrain from the threat or use of force, peaceful settlement of disputes, and respect for international boundary and of international law, for the promotion of peace, security, stability, and prosperity in the region on the basis of mutual respect for the independence, sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity, and national identity, in accordance with the United Nations Charter, ASEAN Charter and Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC). 

8. The Meeting urged Cambodia and Thailand to exercise maximum restraint and take immediate steps towards the cessation of all forms of hostilities. The Meeting called on both countries to restore mutual trust and confidence, and to return to dialogue, including through bilateral mechanisms as well as making use of the good offices of the ASEAN Chair, revive cooperation on humanitarian demining and implement military de-escalation along their shared border under the observation of the AOT, and to uphold the principles of international law, peaceful co-existence, and multilateral cooperation in the pursuit of a peaceful and durable resolution to the situation. 

9. The ASEAN Foreign Ministers welcomed the discussions on resumption of the ceasefire and cessation of hostilities. The GBC will convene on 24 December 2025 to discuss the implementation and verification of the ceasefire. The ASEAN Foreign Ministers expressed hope for de-escalation of hostilities as soon as possible. 

10. The ASEAN Foreign Ministers undertook to remain seized of the matter.

Photo source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia