WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that Kazakhstan will formally join the Abraham Accords, marking another milestone in the normalization of relations between Israel and Muslim-majority nations.
The announcement came after Trump held a trilateral call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
We will soon announce a signing ceremony to make it official, and there are many more countries trying to join this club of STRENGTH, Trump declared on Truth Social, describing the expansion as a key diplomatic victory for his administration.
In a statement, the Kazakh government confirmed that the move was in the final stage of negotiations, calling it a natural and logical continuation of Kazakhstan’s long-standing foreign policy rooted in dialogue, mutual respect, and regional stability.
Although Kazakhstan already maintains full diplomatic and economic relations with Israel, the Abraham Accords would elevate those ties into a multilateral partnership connecting Astana with other signatories, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that Kazakhstan’s inclusion would not be merely symbolic, noting that the agreement brings “unique economic development opportunities” and deeper collaboration across multiple sectors.
Trump met President Tokayev and four other Central Asian leaders from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan at the White House on Thursday. The meeting, according to analysts, underscores Washington’s growing interest in a region long influenced by Russia and increasingly courted by China.
Some of the countries represented here are going to be joining the Abraham Accords … and those announcements will be made over the next little while, Trump told reporters, hinting at further diplomatic breakthroughs.
According to US officials, the move aims to reinvigorate the Abraham Accords, whose expansion had stalled during the Gaza conflict. The Trump administration hopes Kazakhstan’s participation will serve as a catalyst for other Muslim-majority nations to follow suit.
The Abraham Accords, brokered by Trump in 2020, led to Israel’s normalization of ties with the UAE and Bahrain, followed later by Morocco. The initiative remains a cornerstone of Trump’s Middle East policy and a rare bipartisan success in US foreign affairs.
Reports suggest the United States is also in discussions with Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, both of which have close ties with Israel, about potential inclusion in the accords.
Trump remains optimistic about bringing Saudi Arabia into the fold, particularly after a recent ceasefire in Gaza. However, Riyadh has maintained that it will only normalize relations with Israel once there is a clear pathway toward Palestinian statehood.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is expected to visit the White House on November 18, in what observers say could be a pivotal moment for the accords’ future.