New Zealand has decided not to accept US President Donald Trump's invitation to join his "Peace Council", New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Friday, Reuters reports.
Trump launched the Peace Council last week, initially conceived as a body to solidify the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, but he envisions it could play a broader role involving other global powers.
He has invited dozens of world leaders to join. While some Middle Eastern powers, including Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, as well as major developing countries like Indonesia, have already joined the board, global powers and the US's traditional Western allies have been considerably more cautious.
Luxon said in an emailed statement that the decision had been made not to join the Peace Committee "in its current form," Reuters reported.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters added in a post on the X network that a number of countries, particularly from the region, have taken on a role in contributing to the committee's work on Gaza, and that "New Zealand would not make a significant additional contribution to that."
Peters stressed that, as "one of the founders and long-time supporters" of the United Nations, it is important that the work of the committee be complementary and in line with the UN Charter.
"This is a new body and we need clarity on that, as well as other issues concerning its mandate, now and in the future," Peters said.
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