Abraham Accords Nations hold first joint meeting since October 7

New York: Representatives of countries involved in the Abraham Accords held their first official joint meeting since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, bringing the United States, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco together in New York amid efforts to revive regional cooperation.

The high-level roundtable was held on Thursday, September 24, on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly. Officials from Kazakhstan also attended for the first time, reflecting the Central Asian country’s stated interest in joining the Abraham Accords.

The meeting was convened by the N7 Foundation, which has organised multilateral discussions involving Abraham Accords countries since 2021. US Under Secretary of State Allison Hooker led the American delegation, while senior representatives from Bahrain, Israel, Kazakhstan, Morocco and the UAE participated.

Focus shifts to practical cooperation

Participants discussed ways to strengthen existing relationships under the Abraham Accords and identify practical areas for deeper cooperation.

According to the organisers, discussions focused on turning existing diplomatic ties into tangible cooperation and exploring opportunities involving shared regional interests. Areas highlighted around the meeting included technology, transportation and broader economic and regional cooperation.

Kazakhstan’s participation was particularly notable. The country has expressed interest in joining the accords, and its officials used the New York gathering to discuss potential cooperation in areas including technology and transport. The N7 Foundation said participants welcomed Kazakhstan’s forthcoming accession.

Gaza war stalled expansion

The meeting comes nearly three years after the October 7, 2023 attack and the subsequent war in Gaza, developments that disrupted efforts to expand the Abraham Accords to additional countries.

Before the conflict, there had been momentum around expanding the agreements, including speculation over possible participation by additional Arab and Muslim-majority countries. The Gaza war, however, significantly complicated those diplomatic efforts.

The Abraham Accords were launched in 2020 under US mediation, with the UAE and Bahrain establishing diplomatic relations with Israel. Morocco subsequently joined the normalisation process.

The latest gathering does not itself constitute a new accession agreement, but it provides a renewed multilateral platform for the participating governments and prospective partners.

A renewed diplomatic forum

The New York meeting also comes as regional diplomacy remains heavily shaped by conflicts in Gaza and elsewhere in the Middle East.

Organisers said the discussions reaffirmed the principles of the Abraham Accords and focused on coexistence, mutual understanding and practical cooperation.

For the participating countries, the immediate emphasis is on strengthening relationships that already exist while identifying new areas where cooperation can produce concrete results.

The gathering therefore marks a notable resumption of collective engagement among the Abraham Accords countries after a prolonged period in which regional conflict had slowed the initiative’s expansion.