President Marcos says Cambodia, Thailand reached agreements, discussed ways forward in talks arranged by the Philippines
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday said Cambodia and Thailand made progress during talks facilitated through the good offices of the Philippines as ASEAN Chair.
Photo from PCO
ASEAN CMASC | May 8, 2026
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday said Cambodia and Thailand made progress during talks facilitated through the good offices of the Philippines as ASEAN Chair. The wide-ranging discussions led both parties to reach several agreements that are aimed at advancing resolution of their border issues.
Speaking after a trilateral meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on the sidelines of the 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu, President Marcos said the discussions reflected a shared commitment to dialogue, restraint, and the peaceful resolution of differences.
“During this meeting, I would venture to say that many subjects have been covered, some agreements have been reached, and ways forward have been discussed,” President Marcos said.
The President added that both leaders reaffirmed the importance of maintaining open and direct communication, exercising restraint, and avoiding actions that could escalate tensions along the Cambodia-Thailand border.
“I believe this was possible because of a very clear, fervent belief by both leaders that it is the time for peace and no longer the time for war,” President Marcos said.
The Chief Executive also said the foreign ministers of both countries have been tasked to continue to hold “open and candid” dialogue to preserve peace and stability between the two nations.
President Marcos also welcomed the extension of the mandate of the ASEAN Observer Team (AOT) for another three months and affirmed the Philippines commitment to play a positive role as the AOT Coordinator. The President also emphasized the importance of the AOT mechanism in monitoring and verifying agreements reached by both sides.
“We express our confidence in the ability of both Cambodia and Thailand to resolve the matter amicably and to manage their border differences peacefully in the spirit of ASEAN solidarity and unity,” the President said.
The Philippines utilized its good offices as ASEAN Chair for 2026 to host the meeting in support of peaceful engagement between Cambodia and Thailand.
President Marcos stressed that the meeting demonstrated ASEAN’s principles of mutual respect, solidarity, and peaceful settlement of disputes, adding that the regional bloc remains committed to supporting dialogue and confidence-building efforts between the two countries.
Meanwhile, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul thanked President Marcos for convening the trilateral talks.
Prime Minister Hun Manet commended President Marcos’ “constructive” leadership in promoting regional peace, stability, and unity, while Prime Minister Anutin expressed appreciation to Marcos for organizing the meeting and facilitating frank and candid discussions between both sides.
Both leaders said they agreed to continue pursuing peace through dialogue and that their foreign ministers will work on more detailed confidence-building measures and sustained diplomatic engagement moving forward.