Turan Research Center

As political commentators speculate when Saudi Arabia will normalize ties with Israel, two other candidates have emerged as potential partners to the Abraham Accords: Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. Both countries currently enjoy diplomatic relations and cooperation with Israel, which makes them distinct from other Accords countries. However, joining the Accords would still yield tangible benefits for all countries: it would allow Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan access to a network based on promoting investments that bolster regional prosperity and tolerance while strengthening Israel and the United States’ role in the Turkic and broader Muslim world.

Although the Abraham Accords were initially agreements over Israeli-Arab normalization, these pacts have since transcended Arab borders into a high-profile forum that can incorporate Muslim countries committed to shared values of tolerance, peace, and prosperity.

For Azerbaijan, the Accords could provide a path to expanded security cooperation against Iranian threats and, if pursued in coordination with Kazakhstan, progress towards its goal of becoming a bridge to Central Asia. For Kazakhstan, the Accords could help the country reduce its economic dependence on Russia and China at a time when such dependence is proving to be a liability.

Read more at the Atlantic Council.

Joseph Epstein is the Director of the Turan Research Center and a Senior Fellow at the Yorktown Institute.