00:00The European Union wants a seat on U.S. President Donald Trump's controversial Board of Peace for Gaza.
00:08The EU's commissioner for the Mediterranean has told Euronews.
00:11If we talk about fair play, then we should have a seat in this peace board for sure.
00:18Because, as I said, we are the biggest, not only donors, but the biggest payers.
00:22And we are the ones who are involved.
00:26And they are our neighbours. We are the closest neighbours.
00:28So I think that we should have a place in this board.
00:33The peace board, pitched in Trump's 20-point plan for Gaza, would be chaired by the U.S. President
00:39and would oversee Gaza's reconstruction and economic recovery.
00:43But there are concerns it could grant the U.S. President outsized influence over the Strip's future
00:49and sideline other regional powers.
00:52An official said the EU is in talks with the U.S. to secure European representation on the board.
00:58Later this week, Commissioner Switzer will chair a donor meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Mustafa
01:05as the EU aims to further strengthen the Palestinian Authority,
01:09the governing body that oversees parts of the occupied West Bank.
01:13So we will be trying to show that Palestine Authority can at one point, or could at one point,
01:22take over some of the services in the country, not only in West Bank, but also later in Gaza.
01:28The EU is the biggest donor of aid to Palestinians, but most of its disbursements to the Palestinian Authority
01:35are contingent on progress on key economic and governance reforms.
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