Mitsotakis will not attend Trump’s Peace Council on Gaza

Greece is not expected to participate in the Gaza Peace Council convened by Donald Trump, scheduled for February 19.

According to reports, the reason for Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis absence is his packed schedule.

It is worth noting that, on Monday, February 17, Mitsotakis is scheduled to be in Abu Dhabi, and then on the following two days (February 18 and 19), he will be in New Delhi. It should also be highlighted that the Prime Minister of India is also not expected to attend the Gaza Peace Council, so it was preferred not to cancel the meeting between the two leaders.

It is reminded that the U.S. President had recently invited Greece and Cyprus once again to the “Peace Council” for Gaza, causing embarrassment to both countries.

Government officials confirmed succinctly that Athens “received and is evaluating” the invitation to participate in the “Peace Council” meeting for Gaza’s reconstruction in Washington this February.

The issue, however, is that Trump is essentially attempting to create a controlled international body under his leadership, which would practically replace the UN. Although the UN has long been weakened, both Greece and Cyprus rely on its resolutions to support their national positions, based on international law.

The “Peace Council” meeting on February 19 in Washington has also invited Turkey, as well as the following EU member states: Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Sweden.

According to reports, Greek concerns about anything that might even indirectly challenge the principles of international law (in this case, the UN) have been formally conveyed to the Americans. It is recalled that about two weeks ago, Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis had a phone conversation with his counterpart, Marco Rubio. In that conversation, aside from key bilateral cooperation issues, Greece’s stance on the presidential initiative was discussed, including its position on matters such as the Peace Council.