Trump administration will announce Khazakstan’s inclusion in the Abraham Accords

Although Israel and Kazakhstan already maintain diplomatic relations, the decision to join the accords would formalize their cooperation under the broader US-led initiative.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

The Trump administration is preparing to announce that Kazakhstan will formally join the Abraham Accords, marking the first addition to the US-brokered normalization framework in four years, according to American and Israeli officials. The announcement is expected Thursday evening in Washington.

Diplomatic sources say the event will coincide with a gathering of representatives from five Central Asian nations, where US officials are expected to frame Kazakhstan’s inclusion as a sign of renewed regional momentum. One senior official described the move as “just the beginning,” suggesting that additional countries could follow.

The Abraham Accords, first introduced by President Donald Trump in 2020, established full diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab states, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan. Expanding the accords has remained a central goal of Trump’s foreign policy team, which views the agreement as a cornerstone of regional stability and economic cooperation.

Although Israel and Kazakhstan already maintain diplomatic relations, the decision to join the accords would formalize their cooperation under the broader US-led initiative. The step is viewed by both Washington and Jerusalem as a symbolic breakthrough, extending the accords’ reach into Central Asia for the first time.

Hints of the development emerged earlier this week when US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, speaking at a financial conference in Miami, told participants he was returning to Washington “because we’re announcing another country,” though he declined to name it.

On Thursday morning, Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to discuss trade and investment ties. A State Department readout said both sides reaffirmed their commitment to “deepening economic cooperation.” Tokayev’s office released a separate statement calling for “constructive dialogue,” widely interpreted as signaling readiness to formalize relations with Israel.

The Trump administration continues to pursue new signatories, including Saudi Arabia, which has tied normalization to progress toward Palestinian statehood—a condition Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected. President Trump recently told Time Magazine he believes Riyadh “will lead the way” before year’s end.

If confirmed, Kazakhstan’s entry would mark a significant diplomatic gain for Trump, extending the Abraham Accords beyond the Middle East and into the broader Muslim world.