India on Thursday attended the inaugural meeting of US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace on Gaza as an “observer” country.

According to a list of attendees at the meeting held at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace, India was represented by Chargé d'affaires at the Indian Embassy in Washington DC Namgya Khampa.

India has not joined the Board of Peace, which has been set up by Trump for the redevelopment of the Gaza Strip.

The move places India in a watchful position at a time when the United States is pushing a parallel diplomatic platform that some see as an alternative to existing multilateral institutions.

Trump announced that the US will commit USD 10 billion to the Board, whose members include 27 nations such as Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Hungary, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

The financial commitment signals Washington’s intent to give the initiative institutional weight, even as its long-term structure remains unclear.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the numerous global leaders that the US President had invited to join the board that was announced under the second phase of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

India’s presence as an observer suggests that New Delhi is keeping channels open without committing to the structure at this stage.

India was among the countries not present at a January 22 ceremony in Davos where Trump unveiled the Board of Peace that seeks to work towards bringing lasting peace to Gaza and possibly resolve other global conflicts.

The Davos event had been positioned as a diplomatic outreach effort linked to the ceasefire process. The Board of Peace is perceived as a rival to the UN.

Trump has previously said that the Board of Peace “might” replace the UN, which he said has never lived up to its potential.