The central Asian nation of Kazakhstan will join the Abraham Accords, President Donald Trump announced Thursday on Truth Social. Although Kazakhstan normalized relations with Israel in 1992, the development marks the first addition to the Abraham Accords of Trump’s second term, building momentum for Trump to draw Israel’s closer neighbors, who have not normalized relations, into the diplomatic framework.

The announcement came after Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with President Trump at the White House, as part of a “C5+1” summit with leaders from five Central Asian nations: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan — the former Soviet “Stans.”

Earlier Thursday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Tokayev to discuss “expanding opportunities for commercial trade and investment” including “partnership to secure critical minerals access and bolster energy security,” according to a State Department readout. Tokayev also met with American business executives and signed 29 bilateral agreements worth approximately $17 billion, including $1.1 billion to develop Kazakh tungsten deposits.

According to Axios, Kazakhstan joining the Abraham Accords was Tokayev’s idea, a low-cost way to earn goodwill in Washington while improving diplomatic relations with Israel. Although a Muslim-majority nation, Kazakhstan never joined the Arab coalition against Israel because it was part of the Soviet Union until its collapse. Upon gaining independence, Kazakhstan quickly established relations with Israel and has maintained them for 33 years.

But joining the Abraham Accords does enable more diplomatic and economic cooperation between the two nations. “We will get certain dividends from the point of view of economic cooperation,” said Tokayev. “We always had good relations with Israel and with Middle Eastern countries. This is a logical continuation of our policies.”

Although by no means a small country — it’s nearly twice the size of Alaska with a population roughly equal to New York State — Kazakhstan is dwarfed by its giant neighbors, Russia and China. Due to this inconvenient geography, Kazakhstan has long pursued good relations with as many nations as possible, including the neighboring powers (even as China persecutes ethnic Kazakhs across the border in the Xinxiang region). As the nation’s longtime foreign minister (and even a stint as U.N. secretary-general), Tokayev oversaw that policy, which now informs his decision to pursue closer economic ties with the U.S.

From Trump’s vantage point, welcoming Kazakhstan into the Abraham Accords is a way to regain momentum for a diplomatic achievement from his first term, in hopes of enticing other Muslim-majority countries to join as well. “This is a major step forward in building bridges across the World,” Trump declared. “There are many more Countries trying to join this club of STRENGTH. So much more to come in uniting Countries for Stability and Growth — Real progress, real results. BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!”

Trump and Tokayev sealed the deal during a phone call from the Oval Office with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump intends to orchestrate a signing ceremony to make the deal official.

“This is going to show that the Abraham Accords is a club that many countries want to be a member of,” said an unnamed U.S. official. “It will be a step for turning the page on the war in Gaza and moving forward towards more peace and cooperation in the region.”

Under the Abraham Accords, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco have each normalized relations with Israel. Sudan signed an Abraham Accords declaration in January 2021, but its normalization efforts have been derailed by its civil war.

Since Kazakhstan already enjoys normal relations with Israel, its decision to join the Accords is more symbolic than substantive. But it does breathe air into the sails of Trump’s quest to land bigger fish: first Syria, then — the crown of the region — Saudi Arabia. Top officials from both nations plan to visit Washington later this month. On Wednesday, President Trump publicly said he wanted Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords, in an aside to Saudi Ambassador to the U.S. Princess Reema bint Bandar, during a speech at a business conference.

The Abraham Accords play a key function in Middle East diplomacy by reducing Israel’s diplomatic isolation at a time when Israel is more diplomatically isolated than ever. Yet relations that consist primarily of economic partnerships fall short of providing for Israel’s long-term security by guaranteeing its sovereign control over its own land. To date, many of the governments that have entered into the Abraham Accords with Israel still officially endorse a two-state solution, which would involve carving out a Palestinian state from the Jewish heartland of Judea and Samaria. Such a state would simply be a massive springboard for terrorist activity.

However, as Western nations like France choose to turn their back on Israel, the fact that more Muslim-majority nations are willing to enter into the Abraham Accords may also give Israel just the breathing room that it needs.