Trump says Kazakhstan has agreed to join Abraham Accords

WASHINGTON

US President Donald Trump said Thursday that Kazakhstan has agreed to formally enter into the series of normalization deals he has brokered between Israel and Muslim-majority nations.

"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," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

"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," he added.

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.

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 recognized 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.

It remains unclear if Trump will seek to announce their entry into the pacts during the visits.

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.