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

India attended the inaugural meeting of United States President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace on Gaza on Thursday as an “observer” country, but has not joined the board as a member, The Indian Express reported.

The first meeting was held at the Donald J Trump Institute of Peace in Washington. According to the list of attendees, India was represented by Namgya C Khampa, chargé d’affaires and deputy chief of mission at the Indian Embassy in Washington DC.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was also among those in attendance.

Trump announced that the US would commit $10 billion to the Board, but did not specify what it would be used for, Al Jazeera reported.

However, he asserted: “Every dollar spent is an investment in stability and the hope of a new and harmonious [region].”

India was among around a dozen countries participating as observers without formally joining the board. Others include Germany, Italy, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

The Board is widely perceived as a rival to the United Nations, and Trump has previously said it may replace the UN, which he argued had not lived up to its potential, PTI reported.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among world leaders invited by Trump to join the board, which was announced during the second phase of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

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