US lawmakers propose expanding Abraham Accords to South Caucasus states

A new bill introduced by the Abraham Accords Caucus in the US House of Representatives calls on the administration to take steps to expand the accords to include countries in Central Asia and the South Caucasus, Caliber.Az reports, citing the American publication Jewish Insider.

The bill is backed by a bipartisan group of 26 lawmakers, including the caucus co-chairs — Representatives Craig Goldman (Texas), Ann Wagner (Missouri), Brad Schneider (Illinois), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Florida). This follows an earlier announcement this year that Kazakhstan, which has maintained relations with Israel for decades, will join the Abraham Accords.

“The more countries that are involved with the Abraham Accords… then the more opportunity we [have] to guarantee peace in the Middle East,” Goldman told Jewish Insider. “That’s the overall goal is to have peace, less war and more peace in the Middle East.”

Goldman noted that the initiative was inspired by efforts by US President Donald Trump and his statements about expanding the accords. “So we are following the president’s lead on this”, seeking to give the process additional momentum, he said.