India to discuss Gaza plan with Arab nations

New Delhi: India will brainstorm with Arab foreign ministers US President Donald Trump's proposal for the Board of Peace at a meeting in New Delhi on January 31. This comes as the government continues to study an invite to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on joining the board, which stemmed from Trump's peace plan for Gaza.

Arab nations Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, and UAE have decided to join the board, and India wants to consider their views before firming up a decision on Trump's invite to Modi, ET has learnt.

While the meeting with the Arab foreign ministers was slated weeks ahead of Trump's invite to India to join the board, the issue will be a key item on the meeting agenda, said people familiar with the developments.


There are speculations that Modi may travel to Israel and an Arab state next month, and that the Peace Board proposal is likely to figure during that trip.

Trump was joined by few leaders on Thursday in Davos as he signed the charter of the Board of Peace. He was joined at the event by leaders and representatives from Argentina, Turkey, Hungary, Bulgaria, Bahrain, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Qatar, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Morocco, Paraguay and Pakistan. Pakistan PM Shahbaz Sharif was seen closeted with Trump at the meet and Sharif referred to the presence of Field Marshal Asim Munir in the audience on the occasion.

Trump said his Board of Peace "has the chance to be one of the most consequential bodies ever created," adding that it was an "enormous honour" to serve as its chairman. Trump said the board would work alongside the United Nations, which he said has "got tremendous potential." The two bodies together "can be something very, very unique for the world," he said.