Kazakhstan to Join the Abraham Accords; U.S. and Israel have Welcome the Move

U.S. President Donald Trump announced overnight (Thursday–Friday) that Kazakhstan will join the Abraham Accords, becoming the first country to do so in his current term.

“I just had a great conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “Kazakhstan is the first country in my second term to join the agreements — the first of many. Countries are lining up to embrace peace and prosperity through the Abraham Accords.”

Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, welcomed the announcement, saying:

“Congratulations to Kazakhstan — which strengthens the regional alliance for peace.”

Mostly Symbolic Move

Kazakhstan, a Central Asian Muslim-majority state of roughly 20 million people, already maintains full diplomatic relations with Israel, established in 1992, shortly after Kazakhstan declared independence from the Soviet Union.
The Kazakh Foreign Ministry described the move as a “natural and logical continuation” of its foreign policy.

Kazakhstan also recognized the State of Palestine in the early 1990s, and has historically attempted to balance relationships with Israel, Arab states, Russia, China, and the United States.

Political Background

Kazakhstan was ruled for nearly three decades by Nursultan Nazarbayev, who won repeated elections that international observers described as neither free nor fair. In 2019, Nazarbayev resigned and transferred authority to Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who has remained president since.

Economic Profile

Kazakhstan is one of the world’s largest exporters of crude oil and natural gas, and ranks:

• 50th globally in total GDP (~$288 billion, 2024)

• 89th in GDP per capita (~$13,780)

• 60th in the 2023 Human Development Index

Its Jewish community numbers just over 2,000 people.

U.S.–Kazakhstan Agreements Signed

The announcement coincided with the signing of several economic cooperation deals in Washington:

• Cove-Capital (U.S.) and Kazakhstan’s state mining firm will jointly develop tungsten production, with the U.S. expected to finance $900 million of a $1.1 billion project. Tungsten is widely used in weapons manufacturing.

• Starlink, Elon Musk’s satellite internet company, signed a major access agreement with telecom group Veon. The deal will allow Starlink to offer service to more than 150 million customers across Central Asia, beginning in Kazakhstan in 2026.

The agreements were signed during President Tokayev’s visit to Washington.