On July 22, Washington hosted an important hearing of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa, titled “Building a New Regional Security Architecture: The Next Phase of the Abraham Accords.” American lawmakers, diplomats, and experts, including Daniel Shapiro, former U.S.
Ambassador to Israel, gathered at the Capitol to discuss the broader transformation of the framework under the auspices of the White House. The hearing, together with the current geopolitical agenda, made one trend increasingly clear: the Abraham Accords have moved decisively beyond the confines of the Middle East and are evolving into a broader international coalition, with Kazakhstan assuming an important precedent-setting role.
The discussions in Congress provide valuable insight into the key trends likely to shape the future development of the Accords and help define Astana’s place within this emerging international architecture. Resetting the framework: From a regional pact to a “Club of Power” Speakers before Congress emphasized that the Abraham Accords have demonstrated their resilience even under the most difficult circumstances following the October 2023 crisis.
The current strategy of the Donald Trump administration rests on two major pillars. The long-anticipated agreement on civilian nuclear cooperation between Washington and Riyadh has now been concluded. On July 22, U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman signed an agreement establishing a framework for long-term cooperation on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
The significance of the agreement extends well beyond the energy sector. It represents an important element of the broader U.S. strategy to build a new regional architecture in which economic integration, advanced technology, energy cooperation, and security partnerships increasingly complement the normalization process associated with the Abraham Accords.
At the same time, the nuclear agreement should be viewed separately from the question of Saudi-Israeli normalization. While normalization remains an important strategic objective for Washington, the two tracks are not identical. The conclusion of the nuclear agreement nevertheless strengthens the broader strategic framework within which future regional arrangements may develop.
The second pillar is the expansion of the Accords beyond their original Middle Eastern framework. Bringing influential states from outside the Arab world into the process demonstrates that the platform can serve as a broader mechanism for international cooperation, reinforcing its relevance, resilience, and legitimacy.
The Central Asian dimension: why do the Accords matter for Kazakhstan? Kazakhstan’s formal accession to the Abraham Accords in November 2025 was highlighted at the congressional hearing as an important diplomatic precedent. Daniel Shapiro, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel and a prominent American expert on the regional normalization process,emphasized in his testimony that Kazakhstan’s decision helped dispel skepticism about the framework and demonstrated its appeal beyond the Arab world, particularly among moderate Muslim-majority states.
Against the backdrop of today’s geopolitical turbulence, participation in the Accords offers Kazakhstan three strategic opportunities.