Bangkok: Prime Minister Anutin revealed he received relatively positive news about the signing of the Joint Declaration of Independence (JDI) with Cambodia, which will withdraw heavy weapons and clear mines. He believes the signing took place in front of Trump and Anwar, who would not dare violate the terms. He hopes to use the ASEAN platform to resolve the issue, declaring that he does not want to be an enemy of anyone. Thailand will be the center of the region, and hopes to meet Xi Jinping at APEC.
According to Thai News Agency, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul revealed that he will hold discussions with the United Nations Secretary-General and meet with the President of the Philippines, who will chair ASEAN next year. Following this, he will hold a four-eye meeting with US President Donald Trump. Following this, he will sign a declaration outlining a path for peace with Cambodia before returning to Thailand.
Regarding the meeting with Donald Trump, Mr. Anutin stated that they will discuss mutual support, particularly seeking support for expediting the signing of the "Trump Tariff" trade agreement. He will make every effort to urge the US President to consider tariffs to maximize benefits for Thailand. He will also invite the US President to visit Thailand officially, as the country has not had a US Presidential visit in over 10 years. They will also discuss security support, trade, various obstacles, and the suppression of scammers. The meeting will last for five minutes. He hopes to meet again at the APEC forum in Korea, as there will be limited time. The consecutive T and U meetings could present opportunities for revisions, but the situation will need to be monitored.
Regarding the peace signing, Mr. Anutin stated that reaching this point has conditions and procedures that both sides have agreed upon. However, implementation must begin with Cambodia, which includes four points that he has always stated. If these conditions are met, and he has received relatively positive news from the Cambodian government, once the signing is complete, they will proceed according to conditions one and two: the withdrawal of heavy weapons and the clearing of mines. "We will expedite our part. Once we are confident that both sides have fulfilled their obligations, we will return the 18 prisoners of war we are holding. We will arrange for medical examinations for all 18 to confirm that we are treating them in accordance with international standards, in line with the Geneva Principles, for the treatment of POWs. This will ensure clarity and ensure everyone returns to health. This will ease the issues and allow us to find ways to continue operations so that the Thai-ness of the situation is les sened."
If Cambodia fails to comply with the agreement after signing, Mr. Anutin stated, "Please don't dwell on negative things, as we've already had a lot of bad things happen. We have to realize that reaching this point didn't happen overnight. It took hard work from both the military and diplomatic forces, and the creation of this agreement through multi-level negotiations. Therefore, there's a clear trend towards a positive direction. We're signing this in the presence of the President of the United States, who is the coordinator of the resolution of this declaration, and in the presence of the Prime Minister of Malaysia, the Chair of ASEAN. This is like signing with ASEAN as witness and with the United States as the coordinating country. Violating the terms or doing anything that distorts the commitments in this declaration is not permitted."
Mr. Anutin further stated that he would return to the meeting because he had to meet with leaders from several other countries, including important trading partners, and addressed several important issues. He added that he would need to continue with the APEC meeting, where bilateral negotiations would take place. Chinese President Xi Jinping is a key figure in the meeting.
As for his expectations for this upcoming ASEAN meeting, Mr. Anutin stated that everything we've done so far is to use ASEAN methods to address the issues facing Thailand. This aims to ensure the safety of the Thai people, foster peace in the region, and expand trade, economics, security, and various forms of cooperation within the region. "We're in the middle of ASEAN, and we don't want to be enemies with anyone. If we were enemies with anyone surrounding us, the cycle would be cut short. We should make this cycle complete. Once it's complete, we'll be in the middle. We'll be the yolk, the center of the region. We can be a hub, a source of significant income, and create numerous opportunities for us."
The Prime Minister also reiterated that the scammer issue has been addressed and that he will do his utmost to address it.