'First of many' - Trump names country that joined Abraham Accords
Photo: Donald Trump, President of the United States (Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump announced that Kazakhstan has joined the Abraham Accords. According to him, it is the first country to take this step during his second term, according to a post by the White House chief on Truth Social.
Trump also announced an upcoming signing ceremony, which he said had been discussed during phone conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
"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, and there are many more countries trying to join this club of strength," the US president wrote.
He emphasized that there is still much work ahead to unite countries for stability and growth, noting "real progress, real results."
What Kazakhstan says
The Kazakh government stated that the country’s accession is in the final stages of negotiations.
The statement noted that Kazakhstan’s anticipated accession to the Abraham Accords was viewed as a logical continuation of the country’s foreign policy course based on dialogue, mutual respect, and regional stability.
Kazakhstan already maintains diplomatic and economic relations with Israel, so the move will be largely symbolic. However, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio disagreed, emphasizing the new economic significance of the accords for member states.
Background on Abraham Accords
The Abraham Accords are a series of agreements to normalize relations between Israel and several Arab states, brokered by the United States in 2020–2021. They establish diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties between nations that previously had no official relations.
The United Arab Emirates was the first to sign the accords with Israel in 2020, followed by Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco.
A meeting between Trump and the leaders of Central Asian countries is being held today at the White House. In addition to Tokayev, Trump met with the heads of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, as Washington seeks to strengthen its influence in a region long dominated by Russia and increasingly courted by China.
On November 6, Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, had earlier teased the announcement of another country joining the Abraham Accords.
