Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. brought Cambodian and Thai leaders together in Cebu on May 7 for talks focused on reducing border tensions between the two countries.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 48th ASEAN Summit. Marcos met with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. The leaders agreed to direct their foreign ministers to pursue open dialogue and develop confidence-building measures.
The trilateral gathering extended the mandate of the ASEAN Observer Team for three months. The Philippines will continue to coordinate the monitoring effort. Officials described the outcome as procedural continuity rather than a final resolution of the territorial dispute.
Marcos emphasized restraint and regional solidarity. He noted that the time had come for peace instead of conflict. The approach relied on quiet diplomacy typical of ASEAN processes rather than public confrontation.
