UPDATE - Kazakh, Uzbek, Belarusian presidents all get invitations to join Trump’s Board of Peace

UPDATED WITH UZBEKISTAN AND BELARUS STATEMENTS, HEADLINE, DECK, AND LEDE CHANGED

By Kanyshai Butun

ISTANBUL (AA) – The presidents of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus have all gotten official invitations from US President Donald Trump to join the Board of Peace, a new international body focused on conflict resolution starting with Gaza.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was among the first global leaders to receive an official invitation from US President Donald Trump to join the board, a Kazakh news outlet said Monday.

Citing presidential spokesman 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 Board of Peace, with Kazakhstan invited to become one of its founding states,” he said.

Zheldibay 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.

Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was also invited to the new international body, according to a press statement.

Mirziyoyev agreed to join as a founding member, praising the board as "an important step in resolving long-standing conflicts in the Middle East and ensuring peace and stability in the vast region," said the statement.

Belarusian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ruslan Varankov also said in a statement that President Aleksander Lukashenko was invited to join the board.

"The proposal was reported to the President of the Republic of Belarus and received positively," he said.

The White House announced the formation of the board on Friday, saying it is intended to “play an essential role in fulfilling” the 20 points of 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 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.