Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev Joins Trump's Peace Board

Kazakhstan's Role in Global Peace Initiatives

By Tamara Vaal

Invitation from Donald Trump

ASTANA, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will join the "Board of Peace" proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump after accepting an invitation to do so and wants to contribute to bringing about a stable Middle East peace, his spokesperson said on Monday.

Commitment to Middle East Peace

The board would be chaired for life by Trump and would start by addressing the Gaza conflict and then be expanded to deal with other conflicts, according to a copy of the letter and draft charter seen by Reuters.

Membership and Funding Details

Tokayev's spokesman, Ruslan Zheldibay, said that Kazakhstan's leader was one of the first leaders to receive an invitation from Trump.

"The head of state sent a letter to the president of the United States expressing sincere gratitude and confirming his agreement to join this new association," Zheldibay said.

"President K. Tokayev confirmed Kazakhstan's commitment to contribute to the achievement of lasting peace in the Middle East, strengthening interstate trust and global stability," he added.

The news was first reported by the Tengri news outlet.

Trump has invited 60 countries to join the "Board of Peace," but permanent membership will be available to those who pay $1 billion.

(Reporting by Reuters; editing by Guy Faulconbridge/Andrew Osborn/Toby Chopra)