By Elena Teslova
MOSCOW (AA) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has received an invitation to attend the first meeting of leaders within the framework of Trump’s Board of Peace, but will miss the gathering due to his schedule, his spokeswoman Natallia Eismant said on Wednesday.
President Lukashenko’s schedule had already been finalized, and Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov will instead represent the country in Washington, Eismant told reporters in Minsk.
“An invitation to the first meeting of leaders within the Board of Peace was extended to the President of Belarus. Unfortunately, we received it late, the president's work schedule for this period had already been planned,” she explained, adding that US authorities have already been informed of the decision.
The spokeswoman noted that Lukashenko’s travel to the US is further complicated by European sanctions, including restrictions on access to European airspace, which significantly lengthen the journey.
She stressed that Belarus fully shares “the commitment of the US President and the Board of Peace to resolving all global conflicts through peaceful means.”
On Jan. 22, representatives of 19 countries signed the Charter of the Board of Peace on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.
The council was created within the framework of peaceful settlement efforts in the Gaza Strip. Washington has said additional states have since joined the initiative.
The first meeting is scheduled for Feb. 19 in Washington and is expected to take place at the level of leaders invited by the Trump administration to participate in the association.
Fundraising for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip is set to be the central theme of the gathering.