ISTANBUL
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is among the first global leaders to receive an official invitation from US President Donald Trump to join the "Board of Peace," a new international body focused on conflict resolution, starting with Gaza, a Kazakh news outlet reported Monday.
Citing President’s Assistant and Press Secretary Ruslan Zheldibay, the report said Kazakhstan is expected to become one of the founding member states of the initiative.
“Yes, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was among the first global leaders to receive an official invitation to join the Peace Council, with Kazakhstan invited to become one of its founding states,” Zheldibay said.
He added that Tokayev sent a letter to Trump expressing “sincere gratitude” and confirming his agreement to join the body.
“The president also reaffirmed Kazakhstan’s commitment to making a meaningful contribution to achieving lasting peace in the Middle East, strengthening interstate trust, and enhancing global stability,” he said.
The White House announced the formation of the Board of Peace on Friday, saying it is intended to “play an essential role in fulfilling” the 20 points of President Trump’s plan to permanently end Israel’s war on Gaza and rebuild the enclave, as well as “providing strategic oversight, mobilizing international resources, and ensuring accountability as Gaza transitions from conflict to peace and development.”
The US also said it has established the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) to implement phase two of Trump’s Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, alongside a founding Executive Board and a Gaza Executive Board to support the committee.
Trump has invited other world leaders to join the Gaza-focused board, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In November last year, Kazakhstan, which maintains diplomatic ties with Israel, confirmed it had joined the Abraham Accords and criticized the Palestinian group Hamas.
The Abraham Accords are US-sponsored agreements launched during Trump’s first term to normalize relations between Israel and several Muslim-majority countries.