Washington [US], November 7 : Kazakhstan will become the first country to join the Abraham Accords under US President Donald Trump's second term, marking a new phase in his administration's West Asia and Central Asia diplomacy.
During his dinner with Central Asian Countries' leaders on Thursday at the White House, Trump said, "I am also delighted to report that Kazakhstan has officially agreed that official now, the tremendous country with the tremendous leader, and has officially joined the Abraham Accords"
Earlier, Trump announced this on his Truth Social account after a joint call with Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"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," Trump wrote.
He added that a formal signing ceremony will take place soon. "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. Blessed are the peacemakers!"
The announcement came as Trump met the leaders of five Central Asian countries, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, during the C5+1 summit, where regional cooperation and security were discussed.
The White House said Kazakhstan's addition to the accords would be "just the tip of the iceberg," suggesting more Muslim-majority nations may follow, as per CNN
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff had hinted at the announcement earlier at a Miami financial conference, saying he would return to Washington "for an Abraham Accords announcement tonight."
Secretary of State Marco Rubio also met with Tokayev on Thursday, discussing trade and investment opportunities. A statement from Tokayev's office said Kazakhstan was ready to "engage in constructive dialogue on deepening multifaceted cooperation."
While Israel and Kazakhstan have maintained diplomatic relations for decades, the Abraham Accords may further institutionalise cooperation, particularly in technology, trade, and defence, as per CNN
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor