India attends Trump’s Gaza Board of Peace meeting as observer

India attended the inaugural meeting of US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace on Gaza as an “observer” country on Thursday (February 20), a week after the Ministry of External Affairs stated that it was looking into Trump’s invitation to join the board.

India, however, had skipped the January 22 ceremony in Davos where Trump unveiled the Board of Peace that seeks to work towards bringing lasting peace to Gaza and possibly resolve other global conflicts.

Represented by Chargé d'affaires

The Board of Peace is perceived as a rival to the UN. Trump has previously said that the Board of Peace “might” replace the UN, which he said has never lived up to its potential.

Also Read: Trump’s Board of Peace: Why New Delhi chose caution over optics

India was represented by Chargé d'affaires at the Indian Embassy in Washington DC Namgya Khampa, at the meeting held at the Donald J Trump Institute of Peace.

New Delhi has not joined the Board of Peace, which has been set up by Trump for the redevelopment of the Gaza Strip.

US commits $10 billion to the Board

Trump announced that the US will commit USD 10 billion to the Board, whose members include 27 nations such as Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Hungary, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Also Read: Trump withdraws Canada’s invite to Board of Peace after Carney's rebuttal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the numerous global leaders that the US President had invited to join the board that was announced under the second phase of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

‘$7 billion for Gaza relief by nine members’

Trump told participants that nine governments-Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, the UAE, Morocco, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and Kuwait- were prepared to pool $7 billion for Gaza relief under the Board’s framework.

Major General Jasper Jeffers, head of the international security force, said Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo and Albania had offered to deploy thousands of troops to Gaza. Egypt and Jordan, he said, would focus on training personnel.

Trump assures cooperation with UN

Addressing speculation that the Board was being positioned against the United Nations Security Council, the US President said Washington would “work again with the United Nations”.

Also Read: India skips Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ launch at Davos as Pakistan joins

"We're going to bring them back. I think the United Nations has great potential, really great potential. It has not lived up to potential... Someday, I won't be here. The United Nations is going to be much stronger. The Board of Peace is going to almost be looking over the United Nations and making sure it runs properly," he said.

"We are going to strengthen the United Nations. We are going to make sure its facilities are good. They need help, and they need help money-wise. We're going to help them money-wise, and we're going to make sure the United Nations is viable," he added as quoted by NDTV.

(With agency inputs)