Tirana Times, January 25, 2026 – Albania has joined the Peace Board, a newly established international mechanism initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump, aimed at overseeing peace agreements and post-conflict stabilization efforts, with an initial focus on the Gaza Strip.
The Peace Board was formally launched during the World Economic Forum in Davos, where the founding charter was signed. According to its founding documents, the Board is conceived as a transitional international body with voluntary membership and funding. President Trump serves as the inaugural chair of the Peace Board.
In its first phase, the initiative brings together countries from several regions. Participating states include Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Mongolia, Argentina, Paraguay, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Kosovo is also among the participating countries.
From Europe, Hungary and Bulgaria are the only European Union member states that have joined the Peace Board at this stage. Most other European participants come from outside the EU, while several EU countries have opted not to take part in the initial phase.
France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom did not participate in the founding signing in Davos. According to diplomatic sources and international media reports, these countries have expressed reservations related to the governance structure of the Peace Board, the scope and clarity of its mandate, and concerns about how the initiative may interact with existing multilateral frameworks, including the United Nations.
Another factor cited by some European governments is the invitation extended by President Trump to Russia and Belarus, although neither country has been officially confirmed as a participant in the initial phase. Apart from the United States, none of the other permanent members of the United Nations Security Council has so far joined the Peace Board.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that the Peace Board remains in a formative stage and is expected to expand. He noted that several countries may require additional time to complete internal legal or constitutional procedures before confirming their participation.
Albanian authorities approved the country’s participation through internal government and parliamentary procedures. Under the Peace Board’s Charter, member states are represented by their head of state or prime minister, and participation does not affect national sovereignty or domestic constitutional competences.
The Peace Board is expected to hold regular meetings and further develop its operational mechanisms in the coming months, while membership remains open to additional countries that may choose to join the initiative at a later stage.
