US President Donald Trump speaks at Coosa Steel in Rome, Georgia, February 19. Associated Press-Yonhap
US President Donald Trump named South Korea among the countries that will join a fundraising campaign to support the reconstruction of the war-torn Gaza Strip, as the first meeting of a new US-led international peace organization was held in Washington on Thursday.
Trump referred to South Korea, the Philippines, and other countries that he said would contribute to the reconstruction efforts of the Palestinian Strip, during the inaugural meeting of the Peace Council, which was launched last month to strengthen peace efforts around the world.
“Japan has just committed to raising funds for aid, which will be very large. It is already successful. We know some of the numbers being talked about, which will be attended by other countries in the region, including South Korea, the Philippines, Singapore and others,” he said.
He added: “China will participate, and I believe Russia will participate.”
Trump announced during the meeting that nine countries — Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and Kuwait — had agreed to allocate more than $7 billion to relief efforts in Gaza.
More than twenty countries have joined the Peace Council, an organization leading efforts for peace in Gaza. South Korea is not a member, but it sent its former ambassador to Egypt, Kim Young-hyun, to Thursday’s meeting as an observer.
