Peace initiative: Cambodia offers to host Russia-Ukraine talks in bid to end war

Cambodia has offered to host talks between Russia and Ukraine in a bid to ease tensions amid the ongoing war.

The possible opportunity to have the dialogue would be during the upcoming ASEAN Summits and Related Summits if both sides are willing to meet.

A senior Foreign Ministry official said yesterday that as the rotating Chair of ASEAN, Cambodia is ready to host a Russia-Ukraine meeting in Phnom Penh if both sides wish to have negotiations on the sidelines of the summits next week.

Cambodia will host the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings from November 10-13 at Sokha Phnom Penh Hotel & Residence under the theme “Addressing Challenges Together”.

According to academics, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict is considered the most sensitive issue during the summit.

Since the war broke out in February, there have been several rounds of peace talks between the two nations to end the Russo-Ukrainian War in an armistice, but negotiations have stalled after Russia annexed four regions of Ukraine’s territory.

However, Russia has said the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson broke away from Ukraine after holding referendums in full compliance with the UN Charter, the norms and principles of international law and the 1970 Declaration on Principles of International Law.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Chum Sounry said as chair of Asean, Prime Minister Hun Sen has extended an invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the upcoming Related Summits in the capital.

Ukraine’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba has agreed to visit Cambodia for the signing of the Instrument of Accession to the Treaty on Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) and to participate in some events of the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits.

Kuleba has said that accession to the TAC is one of the goals of Ukraine’s Asia strategy.

Agencies