Plenković: Government is considering Trump's invitation to join the Board of Peace

US President Donald Trump officially founded his Board of Peace initiative in Davos on Thursday. Ostensibly the body would deal with conflict resolution around the world. Of the sixty countries invited to join, 19 of them signed the Charter, while Russia accepted the invitation in principle. China however, warned of a parallel structure with the United Nations.

The establishment of the Board was approved by a United Nations resolution as part of Trump's peace plan for Gaza. However, UN spokesman Rolando Gomez said that the UN's relationship with the Board will be limited to that context only.

Among the countries to receive an invitation to join the Board is Croatia, with Prime Minister Andrej Plenković saying it would be given careful consideration. Here's what he had to say about it at Thursday's cabinet session: “We have taken note of this Board of Peace initiative, given that it requires serious analysis, that the majority of countries have applied certain conditions given their internal procedures, and that some have said that they are not ready to participate in this initiative.”

Meanwhile, SDP leader Siniša Hajdaš Dončić has called on Prime Minister Plenković to present Government's position on the matter in Parliament and allow for an open debate on the matter before a decision is made. Hajdaš Dončić also voiced his concern that none of the larger EU member states, such as Germany, France and Italy, have joined the initiative, as they too also expressed concerns about the possible undermining of the role of the United Nations.

The Office of President Zoran Milanović also commented on the "Board of Peace" initiative today, noting that government must first reach an agreement with the president before any final decision can be made.

Excerpt from a statement issued by the Office of the President:

“President Zoran Milanović invites the Prime Minister to consultations to discuss Croatia's invitation to join the Board of Peace. The President expects the Prime Minister to provide all relevant information on this strategically important foreign policy issue. According to the Constitution, the position of Croatia must be agreed upon between the President and the Government before any decision is made. Independent decision-making by the Government on behalf of Croatia would be unconstitutional.”

Source: HRT