Bulgaria has joined US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, together with 18 other countries. At a ceremony in Davos on January 22, Bulgaria's outgoing Prime Minister, Rosen Zhelyazkov, signed the Board’s Charter. Bulgaria is also represented on the Board of Peace’s Executive Board by the Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov.
Bulgaria's accession follows a decision taken by the Council of Ministers yesterday, January 21. Bulgaria and Hungary were the only two EU member states represented at the ceremony.
The outgoing Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán were the only leaders from the European Union to sit alongside representatives of the other 17 founding states of Donald Trump’s Board of Peace. Among them are Argentina, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Indonesia, as well as Turkey and Kosovo.
Donald Trump, President of the United States:
“This is a very exciting day, long in preparation. Many countries have just received their invitations, and everyone wants to take part. We will work with many others as well, including the United Nations.”
After Mr Trump’s speech, each of the 19 leaders signed the Charter of the Board of Peace. Bulgaria has declared its ambition to participate in the reconstruction of Gaza and is known for its traditionally good relations with both Israel and Palestine, Prime Minister Zhelyazkov said in Davos.
Rosen Zhelyazkov, outgoing Prime Minister:
“Bulgaria’s role is assessed as constructive and extremely beneficial. That is why the presence of Nickolay Mladenov at the head of the processes, at the forefront of reconstruction and institutional strengthening in Gaza, is so important. I will not hide the fact that a large part of the arguments for our presence here stem from this recognition.”
Preliminary announcements of the outgoing Prime Minister's participation in the World Economic Forum did not include any information about the signing of the Board of Peace Charter. From Davos, Mr Zhelyazkov explained that the Bulgarian government had granted him a mandate yesterday to sign Bulgaria’s accession.
Rosen Zhelyazkov, outgoing Prime Minister:
“This is not definitive, because it is subject to subsequent ratification. That is required under the International Treaties Act. As early as next week, a draft ratification bill will be submitted to the National Assembly so that approval can be granted and the accession can enter into force. I wish to stress that there is no financial commitment for Bulgaria.”
The Charter of the Board of Peace, which will assist in the resolution of conflicts not only in the Middle East but also with other conflicts around the world, includes a specific section on the obligations of member states. Each Member State shall serve a term of no more than three years from the Charter’s entry into force, subject to renewal by the Chairman. The three-year membership term shall not apply to Member States that contribute more than USD $1,000,000,000 to the Board of Peace within the first year of the Charter’s entry into force.
Rosen Zhelyazkov and the outgoing Foreign Minister, Georg Georgiev, met the High Representative for Gaza, Nickolay Mladenov, and congratulated him on his appointment to the post.
Georg Georgiev, outgoing Minister of Foreign Affairs:
“This is a prerequisite for preventing a migration crisis like those we have seen in the past. Peace in the Middle East is a prerequisite for security in our region and in Europe as a whole. I say this from the perspective of a country that has an external border of the Schengen area.”
Nickolay Mladenov spoke at a global forum for the first time in his new role.
Nickolay Mladenov, High Representative for Gaza:
“We are now turning a new page, and whether this will be a success depends on all of us. Please, for a moment, put aside your talking points, your fears and your concerns. Stop listening to rumours and gossip. Focus on what we need to do today, because the future of two million Palestinians is at stake. And if we give them a chance, we will achieve much more: we will create opportunities for more than one billion people living in the Middle East.”
For the first time, the head of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, Ali Sha’ath, also addressed the people of Gaza officially. He announced that the Rafah border crossing would be opened from next week. Donald Trump’s son-in-law and member of the Executive Board, Jared Kushner, presented a master plan for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.
Jared Kushner, member of the Board of Peace Executive Board:
“We have developed a master plan. People ask us whether we have a plan B. We do not. Cities with populations of two to three million are built in three years. This is entirely achievable, and we will do it.”
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz declined to attend the ceremony, even though Mr Merz delivered a speech at the World Economic Forum earlier in the day. The United Kingdom, one of the United States’ closest allies, also declined, citing the invitation extended to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Earlier today, during a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Mr Putin announced that Russia was joining the Board of Peace and had even devised a way to pay the one billion dollars.
Vladimir Putin, President of Russia:
“You may have already heard that we are planning to allocate one billion dollars to this new Board of Peace, primarily in support of the Palestinian people. These funds will be used for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip and for finding a solution to the Palestinian issue. As I mentioned, the money will come from frozen Russian assets.”
photos: Council of Ministers, BTA
A ceremony as being full of leaders who want to be friends with Donald Trump, world media wrote. However, it should not be overlooked that among the 19 founding countries are some of the most significant players in the Middle East. The world is now waiting to see whether the sceptics will be proved right, or whether Donald Trump’s initiative will deliver tangible results.
The US Embassy in Sofia congratulated Bulgaria on its accession to the Board of Peace.
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