Kombos heads to Washington for Board of Peace council

Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos will travel to Washington DC on Wednesday to represent Cyprus at Thursday’s meeting of the Gaza Board of Peace with observer status.

The meeting will focus on the next steps for implementing the Sharm el-Sheikh peace agreement and President Donald Trump’s own peace plan, which was endorsed by the UN Security Council through Resolution 2803.

Cyprus received and accepted an invitation to attend, citing its active diplomatic role since the outbreak of the Gaza crisis.

The foreign ministry said Cyprus’ participation reflects its “consistent initiatives and specific proposals” aimed at supporting international and regional efforts to promote security and stability in the Middle East.

Cyprus previously took part in the signing ceremony of the agreement at Sharm El-Sheikh, where President Nikos Christodoulides submitted proposals linked to the plan’s implementation.

The visit has drawn sharp criticism from Akel, which called on the government to withdraw from the council.

It said participation “even as an observer exposes the country and involves it more deeply in dangerous antagonisms”.

The party argued that the peace council “does not serve the recognition and establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state” but instead advances “the geopolitical and economic interests of the United States, Israel and their allies”, including control over energy routes and post-war reconstruction in Gaza.

Government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis has rejected similar criticism in recent days, insisting that Cyprus’ role is “informative and coordinating” and strengthens its credibility as a regional partner.

“The policy of the empty chair has never protected any national issue,” he said.

The Board of Peace was formally established in January at the World Economic Forum in Davos, and a Washington roundtable is scheduled for Thursday.