Muslim-majority Kazakhstan, which already has diplomatic ties with Israel, has confirmed joining the Abraham Accords, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump made the announcement.
The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the decision was made in the country’s interests with a view to strengthening cooperation with all “interested states.”
“This important decision was made solely in the interests of Kazakhstan and is fully consistent with the nature of republic’s balanced, constructive, and peaceful foreign policy. Joining the Abraham Accords will contribute to strengthening our country’s cooperation with all interested states and, therefore, is fully in line with Kazakhstan’s strategic goals,” the ministry said.
It added that Kazakhstan will continue to firmly advocate for a just, comprehensive, and sustainable settlement of the Middle East conflict based on international law, relevant UN resolutions, and the principle of “two states for two peoples.”
Yesterday, U.S. President Donald Trump said: “Kazakhstan is the first country of my second term to join the Abraham Accords, the first of many. This is a major step forward in building bridges across the world.
“Today, more nations are lining up to embrace peace and prosperity through my Abraham Accords. We will soon announce a signing ceremony to make it official, and there are many more countries trying to join this club of strength. So much more to come in uniting countries for stability and growth — real progress, real results.
Trump hosted Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and the leaders of four other Central Asian nations at the White House for dinner later Thursday evening.
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The Abraham Accords are normalization agreements signed between Israel and several Muslim-majority countries during Trump’s first term. Prior to Kazakhstan’s entry, four nations had joined the peace agreements: Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates.
It is unclear exactly what Kazakhstan’s entry into the Abraham Accords changes. Unlike the other nations, Kazakhstan has long held diplomatic ties with Israel and recognised the country in 1992, shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Asked about the fact that Kazakhstan has recognized Israel for 33 years, Vice President JD Vance said its entry “gives a great momentum to the Abraham Accords.”
“What the president has done is actually signaled that the momentum of the Abraham Accords is alive and well in the second administration,” he told reporters during Thursday night’s dinner with Central Asian leaders.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is also Trump’s national security advisor, added that via its decision to join the agreements, Kazakhstan has agreed to “a partnership that brings special and unique economic development on all sorts of issues that they can work” with Israel to develop.
Trump has long sought to have Saudi Arabia, and more recently Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad, join the agreements. Both Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman are slated to visit the White House this month.
When asked by a reporter if he would discuss the Abraham Accords when he meets with al-Sharaa on Monday, Trump demurred, saying, “well, we’re going to meet, and I think he’s doing a very good job.”
“It’s a tough neighborhood, and he’s a tough guy, but I got along with him very well. And a lot of progress has been made with Syria. That’s a tough one, but a lot of progress has been made,” he said.
