The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is engaged in talks with Azerbaijan and exploring outreach to Central Asian nations regarding a potential expansion of the Abraham Accords, five sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Originally signed in 2020 and 2021, the Abraham Accords established formal diplomatic ties between Israel and several Muslim-majority states. While Azerbaijan and countries across Central Asia already maintain diplomatic relations with Israel, sources said the inclusion would be largely symbolic—aimed at broadening cooperation in trade, defence and political engagement.
“This is about deepening relations under a formal framework, not starting from scratch,” one of the sources noted.
The discussions with Azerbaijan are described as particularly structured. Trump’s special envoy for peace missions, Steve Witkoff, travelled to Baku in March and met with President Ilham Aliyev, Reuters reported. Later in the spring, Aryeh Lightstone, a senior aide to Witkoff, also visited Baku and held follow-up meetings that included talks on the Abraham Accords.
As part of the engagement, Azerbaijani officials have contacted some Central Asian governments, including Kazakhstan, to assess their interest in joining the initiative. It is unclear which other countries—such as Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan or Tajikistan—have been approached.
The U.S. State Department, while declining to name specific countries, said the expansion of the accords is a continuing priority. “We are working to get more countries to join,” a U.S. official told Reuters.
The Azerbaijani government declined to comment. The White House, Israeli foreign ministry and Kazakhstan’s embassy in Washington did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
Sources added that any new agreement would not alter the terms of the original Abraham Accords but would serve as a platform to reinforce U.S. and Israeli engagement in the region through existing diplomatic channels.
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As Kazakhstan becomes the latest nation to join the Abraham Accords on Friday, here's all you need to know about the agreement and why it matters.
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