Cambodia to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize

ANKARA

Cambodia will nominate US President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his role in the recent ceasefire with Thailand, the Southeast Asian country's deputy prime minister announced on Friday.

"As Cambodian citizens, we deeply admire and sincerely thank the US president, the 'President of Peace.' We must formally propose that President Donald Trump be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize," Sun Chanthol was quoted by Cambodian Fresh News as saying.

Chanthol said that ending the conflict between Cambodia and Thailand saved thousands of lives.

Ties between Thailand and Cambodia have deteriorated in recent weeks, with tensions escalating into five days of cross-border airstrikes and rocket fire that killed and injured dozens before ending with a ceasefire on July 28.

Last Monday, Malaysia hosted peace talks in Kuala Lumpur, during which they agreed to halt cross-border fire.

Earlier, Trump spoke with the Thai and Cambodian prime ministers, asking them to end the fighting and warning that the ongoing conflict could jeopardize their trade agreements with the US.

Trump spoke with them again to congratulate the two neighbors on their cease-fire agreement.

On Friday, the two sides drove foreign diplomats to the shared but disputed borders to inspect the damaged sites, and senior officials from both sides are set to meet in Malaysia for boundary talks.

In June, Pakistan also announced that Islamabad will recommend Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in achieving a ceasefire with Pakistan, following cross-border missile fires in May.

Later in July, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize.