AOT Verifies Cambodia’s Implementation of First Phase of Heavy Weapon Withdrawal

AOT Verifies Cambodia’s Implementation of First Phase of Heavy Weapon Withdrawal

Phnom Penh, November 4, 2025 — The Ministry of National Defence of the Kingdom of Cambodia facilitated a verification mission by the ASEAN Observer Team (AOT) this morning, confirming the successful implementation of the first phase of the removal of heavy and destructive weapons and equipment in accordance with the Kuala Lumpur Joint Declaration between Cambodia and Thailand.

At 8:40 a.m. on November 4, 2025, the Coordinating Task Force for the Observer Team of the Ministry of National Defence accompanied the AOT in inspecting the relocated heavy and destructive weapons at a designated site in Kandal Province. These weapons had been withdrawn from Choam Kshant and Roveang Districts, Preah Vihear Province, on November 1, 2025, at 6:45 p.m., as part of the phased removal plan jointly agreed upon by both Cambodia and Thailand.

This verified withdrawal marks a tangible demonstration of Cambodia’s sincerity and unwavering determination to uphold and implement the Joint Declaration signed in Kuala Lumpur on October 26, 2025, by Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet, Prime Minister of Cambodia, and the Prime Minister of Thailand, under the witness of U.S. President Donald J. Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister H.E. Anwar Ibrahim.

Her Excellency Lieutenant General Maly Socheata, Spokeswoman of the Ministry of National Defence, reaffirmed that Cambodia remains deeply committed to promoting peace, stability, and mutual trust through the full and transparent implementation of the Joint Declaration. She further expressed Cambodia’s strong hope that both countries will continue to carry out the agreement in the spirit of sincerity, goodwill, and regional cooperation, contributing to the promotion of lasting peace, development, and the swift return to normalcy along the border.