India, which has not joined the Board of Peace, attended the meeting in Washington as an “observer” country. India was represented by envoy Namgya Khampa.
India on Thursday reportedly attended the inaugural meeting of US President Donald Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’, a body he created to oversee the Gaza ceasefire and the reconstruction of the strip ravaged by the war between Hamas and Israel.
India, which has not joined the Board of Peace, attended the meeting as an “observer” country.
India was represented by Chargé d’affaires at the Indian Embassy in Washington DC Namgya Khampa, PTI news agency reported, citing a list of attendees at the meeting held at the Donald Trump Institute of Peace.
Also Read | Invited, watching closely: Why India is not on Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ yet
Trump, at the inaugural meeting, announced that the US will commit $10 billion to the Board, whose members include 27 nations such as Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Hungary, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
The purpose of Trump’s self-styled board, a body initially designed to oversee the Gaza ceasefire and the reconstruction of the strip, has expanded into resolving all sorts of international conflicts, raising questions over Trump’s aspirations of creating a rival to the UN.
Apart from the US, no member of the G7 grouping has joined Trump’s Board of Peace yet.
Why India has not joined Board of Peace yet
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the multiple 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.
India was among some 60 countries that received invitations in January from Trump to join the Board of Peace, an earlier HT report had quoted people familiar with the matter as saying.
India and several other countries were not present at the January 22 ceremony in Davos where Trump unveiled the Board of Peace.
The people familiar with the matter had acknowledged that no Indian officials were present at the ceremony in the Swiss mountain resort.
The Indian side is yet to make a decision on joining the board, they said.
While the Indian side is keeping an eye on the positions taken by key partners – including France and Russia – there were concerns about the Board of Peace ultimately undermining the United Nations (UN) and Trump remaining as chairman of the body in perpetuity, the people said.
The Board of Peace is perceived as a counter 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.
Meanwhile, India has joined over 100 countries and global organisations in condemning Israel’s “unilateral” decisions and measures aimed at expanding its “unlawful presence” in the West Bank.
A statement was issued by the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to the UN on Wednesday on behalf of the 100 countries and organisations “condemning Israel’s unilateral measures and rejecting annexation.”
According to the statement, the signatories “strongly condemn unilateral Israeli decisions and measures aimed at expanding Israel’s unlawful presence in the West Bank.”
“Such decisions are contrary to Israel’s obligations under international law and must be immediately reversed. We underline in this regard our strong opposition to any form of annexation,” it said.
The article originally appeared on Hindustan Times
