Speaking on Friday, Michael DeSombre, the US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia, said the funding would help reinforce stability and address shared security and humanitarian challenges faced by both countries.

 

According to DeSombre, US$20 million will be allocated to support joint efforts by Cambodia and Thailand to combat drug trafficking and cyber scams, which have emerged as serious regional concerns, particularly in Cambodia.

 

He also announced US$15 million in assistance for border stabilisation initiatives, including support for communities displaced by recent fighting along the border areas. In addition, US$10 million will be dedicated to demining and the clearance of unexploded ordnance, addressing long-standing risks to civilian safety and livelihoods.

 

DeSombre held meetings with senior Thai and Cambodian officials in Bangkok and Phnom Penh on Friday and Saturday to discuss the implementation of the ceasefire agreement, according to a senior US State Department official.

 

“The United States will continue to support the implementation of the ceasefire and promote long-term peace, security, and cooperation between Cambodia and Thailand,” DeSombre said.

 

The ceasefire was brokered earlier with the involvement of former US President Donald Trump, amid heightened regional and international concern over the escalation of tensions between the two neighbouring countries.