‘Attended as observer’: MEA on India's attendance at Trump-led Board of Peace meeting

IN a diplomatical update from young new delhi, the Ministry of outside Affairs (MEA) on fri confirmed that India participated, “as an observer”, in the inaugural meeting of the newly formed Board of Peace (BoP) in Washington DC. At the weekly media briefing on February 20, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal noted that India attended the high-level gathering strictly in the capacity of an “observer”. India was represented at the meeting, held at the Donald J Trump Institute of Peace in Washington, DC, by the Indian embassy chargé d'affaires Namgya Khampa, reported news agency PTI.This comes at a time of heightened global interest in the Trump administration's revamped approach to international conflict resolution and middle-eastern stability.The MEA used the briefing to reiterate India’s position on the ongoing humanitarian and political crisis in Gaza. Jaiswal stated that India has welcomed the Gaza Peace Plan initiative put forward by President Donald Trump. He emphasised that New Delhi supports the diplomatic efforts currently underway as part of Resolution 2803 of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), which endorses a "Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict" originally proposed on September 29, 2025. Aligning with both the Trump-backed initiative and the UNSC resolution, the MEA signaled India’s commitment to multilateral peace efforts.While the MEA focused its official remarks on Gaza and the formal nature of its attendance, the meeting in Washington was dominated by **President Donald Trump’s rhetoric regarding South Asian security. During the meeting on Thursday, Trump again claimed that his personal intervention had single-handedly prevented a full-scale war between India and Pakistan during Operation Sindoor carried out by India against Pak-based terrorists in May 2025.Trump asserted that he stopped the escalation by threatening both New Delhi and Islamabad with high trade tariff rates. "I said, 'if you fight, I'm going to put 200 per cent tariffs on each of your countries'," Trump told the gathering, with Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif in attendance.“When it came to losing a lot of money, they said, 'I guess we don't want to fight',” Trump further claimed. He said phone calls to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Pakistani leadership were the deciding factor behind the May 10, 2025, ceasefire.India has held its stance that it allows no third-party intervention in its decisions.Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif, however, praised Trump as a “saviour of the people of South Asia” and thanked him for his "timely and very effective intervention".The Indian MEA has repeatedly denied any US involvement in the ceasefire understanding, maintaining that the truce was reached after the Pakistani Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) contacted New Delhi directly. Beyond South Asia, Trump outlined an ambitious vision for the Board of Peace. He stated that the BoP would "almost be looking over" the United Nations to ensure the global body "runs properly". While promising to help the UN with its facilities and financial stability, Trump suggested the BoP would provide a more viable mechanism for international conflict resolution. To support this mission, Trump announced that the United States would contribute $10 billion to the Board.According to reports cited during the meeting, countries including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and Kuwait have collectively pledged over **$7 billion toward Gaza relief efforts. Indonesia, Egypt, and Jordan have committed troops and police personnel to stabilise the region and support a "trustworthy Palestinian police force".The BoP’s executive leadership will be overseen by a “founding Executive Board” consisting of Trump's son-in-law and businessman-interlocutor Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, designated negotiator Steve Witkoff, and former UK PM Tony Blair.