Donald Trump to be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize by prime minister of Cambodia

Cambodia’s prime minister, Hun Manet, has put forward U.S. president Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, citing his "extraordinary statesmanship" in resolving a border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand.

Mr Manet announced the nomination via a Facebook post on Thursday, which included a letter he claimed was sent to the Norwegian Nobel Committee. In the letter, he lauded Mr Trump’s intervention as an example of his "exceptional achievements in de-escalating tensions in some of the world’s most volatile regions".

"This timely intervention, which averted a potentially devastating conflict, was vital in preventing a great loss of lives and paved the way towards the restoration of peace," the Cambodian leader wrote.

The resolution stemmed from a July 26 call by Mr Trump to the leaders of both nations, which broke a stalemate in efforts to end some of the most intense fighting between the neighbours in recent history, as reported by Reuters. This led to a ceasefire agreement negotiated in Malaysia on July 28. The two countries further agreed on Thursday to prevent any reignition of hostilities and to permit observers from Southeast Asia.

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The five-day conflict had resulted in 43 fatalities and displaced over 300,000 people, escalating from small arms fire to heavy artillery and rocket attacks, culminating in Thailand’s deployment of an F-16 fighter jet for air strikes.

The nomination had been anticipated after Cambodia’s deputy prime minister last week revealed the plan, simultaneously expressing gratitude for a U.S. tariff of 19 per cent on Cambodian imports. This was a significant reduction from the previously threatened 49 per cent, which he stated would have devastated the country’s crucial garment manufacturing sector.

This is not the first such nomination for Mr Trump; Pakistan indicated in June its intention to recommend him for his role in helping to resolve a conflict with India, and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated last month that he had also nominated him for the award.