President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, said Thursday that the name of another country joining the Abraham Accords would soon be announced, according to Reuters. Alongside Saudi Arabia, which remains the most high-profile candidate for joining the accords, other countries previously mentioned include Azerbaijan, which has long-standing and close ties with Israel and for which such an announcement would be largely symbolic, as well as Indonesia and Syria.
Meanwhile, Israel Hayom has learned that the country in question is Kazakhstan, which has maintained diplomatic relations with Israel since 1992.
On September 15, 2020, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates signed the Abraham Accords in a formal ceremony on the White House lawn, establishing official ties with Israel. Morocco and Sudan later joined the accords, although Sudan's recent civil war has disrupted the normalization process, and the agreement has yet to be implemented.
Witkoff's remarks in Florida add to growing speculation about expanding the circle of countries entering formal relations with Israel under the framework initiated during the Trump administration.
Kazakhstan is the largest country in Central Asia and the ninth-largest in the world, spanning roughly 2.7 million square kilometers. It is also the largest landlocked nation. Around 70% of its population are Sunni Muslims, with a significant Christian Orthodox minority making up about 26%. Kazakhstan gained independence following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. For 28 years, it was led by President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who was succeeded in 2019 by Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Nevertheless, Nazarbayev retained considerable influence under the title "Leader of the Nation."
Kazakhstan is a presidential republic, though political opposition operates under heavy restrictions. The country is rich in natural resources, including oil—accounting for approximately 3% of the world's reserves—natural gas, and minerals, making it an important economic player in the region. Its capital is Astana, while the largest city is Almaty.
