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.
The UN's International Maritime Organization has paused escort operations through the Strait of Hormuz after a cargo ship was reportedly attacked near...
The United Nations' top human rights official has called for independent investigations into deaths in U.S. immigration detention facilities, citing a...
Tens of thousands of people are still unaccounted for after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela. At least 589 people have been confirmed dead a...
An aircraft roughly the size of a car crashed into Beijing's tallest skyscraper on Friday evening, triggering a major emergency response and a heavy p...
Montenegrin police, working alongside the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation, have arrested an Iranian national accused of carrying out a ...
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.
A new country is poised to join the Abraham Accords, the series of normalisation agreements with Israel, according to U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff.
An earthquake of magnitude 6.9 struck Japan's northeast coast on Thursday, but no tsunami warning was issued, no injuries were immediately reported and no irregularities were found at nuclear facilities, the authorities said.
As Western Europe battles a deadly heatwave that has shattered temperature records, disrupted transport and power supplies, and forced the closure of schools and cultural landmarks, attention is turning to whether El Niño is playing a role in the extreme conditions.
The U.S. Senate rejected a resolution on Wednesday that would have directed President Donald Trump to remove U.S. forces from hostilities against Iran unless Congress formally authorised military action.
The Kremlin has denied a Wall Street Journal report claiming Moscow is pressuring Belarus to support an expanded Russian military campaign in Ukraine.
Tens of thousands of people are still unaccounted for after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela. At least 589 people have been confirmed dead and hundreds are believed to be trapped under rubble, as emergency crews and international rescue teams race to respond.
The United Nations' top human rights official has called for independent investigations into deaths in U.S. immigration detention facilities, citing a rise in fatalities among people held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
An aircraft roughly the size of a car crashed into Beijing's tallest skyscraper on Friday evening, triggering a major emergency response and a heavy police presence as authorities sealed off the area and gave no immediate explanation for the incident.
Montenegrin police, working alongside the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation, have arrested an Iranian national accused of carrying out a series of cyberattacks that allegedly caused an estimated $3.4 billion in damage to U.S. infrastructure.
South Korea is set to dramatically expand its unmanned warfare capabilities, with plans to integrate drones across all branches of its military as tensions with North Korea continue to shape the country's defence strategy.
Fertiliser shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have begun to recover following an interim U.S.–Iran agreement aimed at stabilising the waterway after months of disruption during conflict, industry data shows.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment