When the Abraham Accords were first signed in 2020 under the auspices of then-US President Donald Trump, they marked a tectonic shift in Middle Eastern diplomacy. Formalising peace and normalisation between Israel and a growing number of Arab states, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan, the Accords were as much about shared economic and security interests as they were about recognition and reconciliation.

As of 2025, the prospect of expanding this framework eastward, to include Azerbaijan and Central Asian nations such as Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, has gained significant traction. This strategic vision is not new: Trump’s diplomatic team had reportedly discussed Azerbaijan’s potential inclusion during the final year of his presidency. Now, as regional dynamics evolve and geopolitical alliances shift, the benefits and implications of such a move are more salient than ever.

Why Azerbaijan matters to Abraham Accords

Azerbaijan is uniquely positioned to become a valuable addition to the Abraham Accords. Unlike most Muslim-majority countries, Azerbaijan has maintained robust ties with Israel for decades, driven primarily by security cooperation, defence technology, and energy trade. Azerbaijan is one of Israel’s largest oil suppliers, while Israel has provided Baku with cutting-edge defence systems, crucial during the 2020 Second Garabagh War.

In many ways, Azerbaijan is already a de facto member of the spirit of the Accords. Its commitment to multilateral diplomacy, its secular governance, and its pragmatic foreign policy align with the Accord’s goals of regional integration, economic cooperation, and religious tolerance. Formalising this relationship within the framework of the Abraham Accords would elevate Azerbaijan's status as a bridge between the Islamic world and the West, between Europe and Asia, and between conflict zones and zones of cooperation.

Meanwhile, the US initiative is not........

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