Denmark says unclear why it was not invited to Trump's Board of Peace meeting

By Melike Pala

BRUSSELS (AA) - Denmark's Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said Thursday that the country does not know why it was not invited to US President Donald Trump's newly established Board of Peace.

Speaking to broadcaster DR, Rasmussen commented on Denmark's absence from the Washington, DC, meeting of 27 countries convened to discuss Gaza, adding that ignoring the initiative would weaken Denmark's influence.

"We want there to be lasting peace in Gaza, and we want it to happen in a way that includes the Palestinian Authority. So if we turn our backs and say, this is Trump's project, we have nothing to do with it, then we are weakening our own opportunities to have influence," he explained.

Trump's Board of Peace, a high-profile initiative, is intended to manage reconstruction in Gaza and broader Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts.

"We are going to engage with the part of the Board of Peace that deals with Gaza. Of course we will," he said.

Rasmussen also voiced concerns about the board's expanding scope, noting that it may deal with global peace and security issues outside the UN framework.

"It is Trump as a person who is chairman, and not in his capacity as American president, but because he is Donald Trump. And it is planned that he will be equipped with significant veto power," the minister said.

Denmark also ruled out contributing financially to the board, whose permanent membership reportedly requires a $1 billion admission fee.