Cyprus announced it has decided to participate as an observer in the upcoming 'Peace Council' session on Gaza, scheduled to take place in Washington on February 19. Cyprus is the third European country to agree to join the Peace Council after Hungary and Bulgaria, but Cyprus will have observer status. A Cypriot government spokesperson stated that the country's participation is part of the consistent and active regional role it has assumed since the beginning of the crisis, through concrete initiatives and proposals submitted to international partners.