Putrajaya: Besides being ASEAN Chair, Malaysia's experience as a mediating country for geopolitical conflicts in Southeast Asia was a factor in Thailand and Cambodia agreeing to attend a special meeting on the recent border conflict between both countries. According to BERNAMA News Agency, geostrategy expert Prof Dr Azmi Hassan stated that Malaysia had previously acted as a mediator for conflicts in the region, including in Aceh, southern Thailand, and the southern Philippines. Regional parties or countries faced with conflict trust Malaysia due to their confidence in its neutral approach. "That's what's called Malaysia's leverage, its neutral aura that doesn't side either Thailand or Cambodia in this issue. So we see it's an important criteria," he said when interviewed by Bernama TV for the Buletin Bernama programme today. He highlighted that the special meeting chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today was historic, marking the first time an ASEAN Chair directly sought a solution to the l ong-running Thailand-Cambodia conflict. Dr. Azmi also commended the prime minister's decision to invite the United States and China to the meeting, describing it as a strategic move to encourage Thailand and Cambodia to negotiate. "Malaysia knows that these major powers, the United States and China, have huge influence on leaders of both those countries. So, that's what is called the strategic perspective of the ASEAN Chair of not wanting to sideline major powers. "Sometimes major powers are needed and sometimes they are prevented from interfering in ASEAN's internal affairs, but this time, the major powers can be said to be needed," Azmi said. During the special meeting chaired by Anwar in Putrajaya today, Thailand and Cambodia agreed to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire that will take effect at midnight tonight to ease tensions in a disputed border area of both countries.