Cambodia's deputy prime minister says the country will nominate Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize after he helped secure a ceasefire with Thailand after days of deadly skirmishes.
At least 43 people have been killed in the intense clashes, which lasted five days and displaced more than 300,000 people on both sides of the border in the worst violence between the neighbouring countries in more than a decade.
Sun Chanthol thanks the US president for bringing peace and said he deserved to be nominated for the prize.
"We acknowledge his great efforts for peace," Mr Chanthol said.
The Nobel Peace Prize is the highest-profile international award given to an individual or organisation deemed to have done the most to "advance fellowship between nations".
Cambodia said it would recommend Mr Trump for the award, after he made a phone call that reportedly broke a deadlock between Phnom Penh and Bangkok at the weekend.
Reuters spoke to four sources from both countries to ascertain what secured the ceasefire that stopped the conflict.
When Mr Trump called Thai Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai on Saturday, two days after fighting erupted along a 200-km-long stretch of the border, Bangkok had not responded to mediation offers from Malaysia and China, said a Thai government source with direct knowledge.
Thailand said it preferred bilateral negotiations.
On Sunday, a day after his initial call, Mr Trump said that Thailand and Cambodia had agreed to meet to work out a ceasefire, and that Washington would not move ahead with tariff negotiations with both until the conflict had ended.
The source said as the Thai and Cambodian foreign ministries started talking, following Mr Trump's call, Bangkok set out its terms: the meeting must be between the two prime ministers and at a neutral location.
On Monday, the peace deal was announced in Malaysia, with Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet standing alongside Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Thai Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai.
Pakistan said in June that it would recommend Mr Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in helping to resolve a conflict with India, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last month he had nominated the US president for the award.
Reuters/ABC
