Central Asia just became more central to US diplomacy. Kazakhstan will join the Abraham Accords, a diplomatic pact brokered by the United States in 2020 to normalize relations between Israel and several Muslim-majority nations. President Donald Trump announced the news in Washington, DC, on Thursday during the C5+1 summit, which Kazakh President Kassym Jomart-Tokayev and leaders from four other Central Asian states attended. How will this development impact Kazakhstan, Israel, and broader US diplomatic goals in the Middle East and Central Asia? We accorded our experts the opportunity to share their perspectives below.
By Atlantic Council experts
Click to jump to an expert analysis
Daniel B. Shapiro: This is no great breakthrough, but it holds some symbolic value
Sarah Zaaimi: A broader pan-Abrahamic bloc is forming
Andrew D’Anieri: Kazakhstan wants as many partners as it can get
Danny Citrinowicz: A failed attempt to revive the Abraham Accords “brand”
Nic Adams: Kazakhstan seizes an opportunity to partner with the US
