India attended the first meeting of the Board of Peace in Washington on February 19 as an observer country, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on February 20. The meeting was attended by representatives from more than 40 countries, including several Heads of State. India was represented by Namgya Khampa, Charge d’Affaires at the Indian Embassy in Washington DC. The MEA said India supports all efforts to bring peace to Gaza in line with the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2803. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that India welcomed the Gaza Peace Plan initiative proposed by US President Donald Trump, along with other international efforts aimed at restoring peace in the region. At the same time, reports suggest that India is carefully watching new global initiatives. While India sees benefits in strengthening technological and economic cooperation with the United States, it is cautious about any moves that may weaken established international institutions such as the United Nations.
The MEA also clarified why India did not sign a recent joint statement that criticized Israel’s “unilateral” actions in the occupied West Bank. Jaiswal explained that the document was not a negotiated text within the UN framework, which is usually the standard practice for such statements. India recently reaffirmed its position during the Second India-Arab Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held in New Delhi on January 31. In the joint Delhi Declaration, both sides supported a just and lasting peace in the Middle East based on international law and relevant UN resolutions. They called for the creation of a sovereign and independent State of Palestine based on the 1967 borders, living peacefully alongside Israel. India has consistently supported a two-state solution, advocating dialogue, diplomacy, humanitarian assistance for civilians in Gaza, and long-term stability in the region.
