UPDATE - Azerbaijan accepts invitation to join Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ on Gaza

UPDATES WITH LETTER BY AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT TO TRUMP

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Azerbaijan said on Wednesday that it accepted an invitation to join US President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” on Gaza.

“The Republic of Azerbaijan has accepted the invitation and informed the U.S. side of its intention to become a Founding Member State of the Board of Peace,” said a Foreign Ministry statement.

It said an official letter of confirmation regarding Baku’s membership in the “Board of Peace” will be addressed to the US side, noting that “appropriate measures will be taken within the framework of the required procedures.”

“Azerbaijan, as always, is ready to actively contribute to international cooperation, peace, and stability,” the statement added.

Separately, President Ilham Aliyev sent a letter to Trump, which was shared by the Azerbaijani presidency, thanking his US counterpart for inviting his country as a founding member of the international body.

"I accept this invitation as a sign of mutually respectful and beneficial partnership between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the United States of America, and as a recognition of Azerbaijan's role in promotion of peace and stability at the regional and global levels," Aliyev said.

He noted that Azerbaijan joins the "Board of Peace" by "sharing its noble mission of ending the conflict in Gaza and building a safer and more prosperous future for all affected by the long-lasting conflict."

Aliyev went on to say that he believes the "Board of Peace" will be effective and deliver on its mission successfully.

Last week on Friday, the White House announced the formation of the Board of Peace alongside the approval of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, one of four bodies designated to manage the transitional phase in the enclave.

The creation of the board coincided with the launch of the second phase of a ceasefire agreement which halted Israel’s war on Gaza that has killed more than 71,000 people and injured over 171,000 others since October 2023.

The initiative is part of a 20-point plan proposed by Trump and adopted by the UN Security Council under Resolution 2803 in November 2025.