Kazakhstan set to join Abraham Accords, White House says - As-salamu alaykum
As-salamu alaykum - It looks like Kazakhstan was expected to announce joining the Abraham Accords on Thursday after a US special envoy said a new country would sign.
A senior White House official, speaking on background, confirmed that Kazakhstan would be the nation formalizing its entry during the Central Asian Summit in Washington.
The US special envoy had told an audience in Miami: “I'm flying back to Washington tonight because we're going to announce, tonight, another country coming into the Abraham Accords.”
If confirmed, Kazakhstan would become the fifth country to join the agreement after the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan. The original accords opened diplomatic ties between those Arab states and Israel.
This step is largely symbolic because Kazakhstan has maintained diplomatic relations with Israel for many years.
US sources said Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev reached out to Washington to express interest in joining the accords. He reportedly wants Kazakhstan to gain from regional cooperation and to signal religious tolerance and the value of dialogue.
President Tokayev is attending the Central Asian Summit in Washington and has been meeting other regional leaders throughout the day.
Washington is seeking more influence in Central Asia, a region long within Russia’s sphere, and the talks come amid rising competition for the area’s mineral wealth.
The US aims to develop new partnerships in energy, overland trade routes and critical minerals as Western countries try to diversify supply chains away from Russia and China.
During the summit, Kazakhstan and US representatives signed an agreement on critical minerals.
The White House has said US leaders hope more countries will join the Abraham Accords - a goal voiced by former President Trump during his term, who expressed hope for additional participants, including Saudi Arabia.
May Allah guide leaders to choices that bring peace, cooperation and justice for their peoples.
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