Kazakhstan to join Abraham Accords, Trump announces
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Former U.S. President Donald Trump announces that Kazakhstan will become the first country in his second term to join the Abraham Accords, signaling a renewed push for Middle East and Central Asian diplomacy.
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President Donald Trump talks as he signs an executive order giving federal recognition to the Limbee Tribe of North Carolina in the Oval Office on January 23, 2025 in Washington. (AP)
US President Donald Trump announced on his social media platform Truth Social that Kazakhstan will join the Abraham Accords following a phone call between Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
This marks the first country to enter the agreement under his second term. “Kazakhstan is the first Country of my Second Term to join the Abraham Accords, the first of many,” Trump wrote.
“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. "
Trump described the expansion as a "major step forward in building bridges across the World" and said the initiative aims for “Stability and Growth — Real progress, real results.”
Symbolic step to deepen relations
While Kazakhstan and “Israel” have maintained full diplomatic relations for over 30 years, joining the Abraham Accords is seen as a symbolic step to deepen Kazakhstan-"Israel" relations and reaffirm the US-led framework of regional cooperation between “Israel” and the Arab and Muslim world.
A senior US official told Axios that the move aims to revive the Abraham Accords, which were first brokered under Trump’s presidency to normalize ties between “Israel” and several Arab states.
Trump has made it clear that one of his foreign policy goals is to restore “Israel’s” international support, particularly in the wake of the Gaza war that left “Israel” politically isolated in the region.
US officials say Kazakhstan’s entry into the Abraham Accords is intended as a first step toward rehabilitating “Israel’s” standing among Muslim-majority countries and advancing regional cooperation.
“This is going to show that the Abraham Accords is a club that many countries want to be a member of,” a US official said to Axios, adding that it may help “turn the page on the war in Gaza.”
The move critics say normalizes ties with the Israeli occupation and whitewashes its war crimes against Palestinians following a horrifying genocide and an ongoing siege.
Trump: U.S. deepening economic and security ties with Central Asia
Trump also announced that the United States is significantly expanding its economic and security partnerships with Central Asian nations following high-level meetings with regional leaders.
“We’re strengthening our economic partnerships, improving our security cooperation, and expanding our overall bonds,” Trump said Thursday, following discussions with the presidents of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan.
The president emphasized a recent surge in trade activity, noting that “tremendous amounts of trade” had taken place, including the sale of military and civilian products from the U.S.
Trump praised the region’s potential, calling Central Asia “wealthy and full of opportunity,” and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation with each of the five countries.
