Shavkat Mirziyoyev arrives in Switzerland

On 22 January, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev arrived in Zurich, Switzerland, on a working visit, the Presidential Press Service reported.

According to the information provided, the Uzbek leader was welcomed at Zurich International Airport by Dorit Probst, Head of the United Chambers of Commerce.

Under the visit programme, on 22 January in Davos President Mirziyoyev is expected to attend the signing ceremony of the charter of the “Peace Council,” an initiative proposed by US President Donald Trump, as well as hold a number of bilateral meetings.

As a reminder, it was previously reported that the signing ceremony of the “Peace Council” charter would take place in Davos. According to the draft charter, Donald Trump will serve as the organisation’s first chair and will personally decide on the invitation of new members. To obtain permanent membership status, the US administration requires countries to pay a contribution of at least $1 billion during the first year.

According to Bloomberg, these financial conditions have surprised many world leaders and sparked sharp criticism. Although the council was initially created to oversee the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, the text of the charter indicates broader and more global ambitions that could position the initiative as an alternative to the United Nations. Some potential participants have expressed concerns that Trump, as chair, could gain sole control over the organisation’s funds.