Bulgaria joins Trump’s Board of Peace despite EU boycott

Despite leading EU countries boycotting the project, Bulgaria has signed the charter of Donald Trump’s Board of Peace in Davos, joining the US president’s initiative.

Trump extended the invitation to Bulgaria via President Rumen Radev, who submitted his resignation but remains in office pending its acceptance. Nevertheless, outgoing Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov travelled to the World Economic Forum in Davos to formalise Bulgaria’s participation in the Board of Peace.

During the signing ceremony, the two leaders exchanged prolonged handshakes and had a brief conversation. Trump also patted Zhelyazkov on the back.

On Wednesday, ahead of Zhelyazkov’s departure for Davos, the government decided that Bulgaria would become a founding member of the Board of Peace. However, the country will not pay the required contribution of $1 billion. Trump had initially sought such payments from participating countries, but these were later clarified as not mandatory, according to 24chasa.bg and segabg.com.

Bulgaria will therefore become a founding member of the organisation, which Trump has said will collaborate with various international bodies, including the United Nations.

Under Bulgaria’s constitution, all international treaties and obligations must be ratified by the National Assembly.

The Board of Peace has an executive board that includes US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, the US president's son-in-law Jared Kushner, and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. The board also includes Bulgarian diplomat Nikolay Mladenov, who has been appointed High Representative for Gaza.

Editor: Ivo Ivanov
Posted in English by E. Radkova