Senior officials from the United States, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco — joined for the first time by officials from Kazakhstan — gathered in New York on Thursday for the first official meeting of the Abraham Accords countries since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel, according to CBS News reporting.The session took place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in a midtown Manhattan office tower and was organized by the N7 Foundation, a US-based organization that has convened multilateral meetings of the signatory countries since 2021.
"Back together"
The US delegation was led by Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker. "Nearly three years after October 7, the Abraham Accords countries are back together," Hooker said, adding that Thursday's session was an important signifier that the accords were "moving forward again." A senior administration official told CBS News that Secretary of State Marco Rubio's team and White House Special Envoy for Peace Missions Steve Witkoff were "clearly prioritizing this effort."
Kazakhstan joins the table
The N7 Foundation said the roundtable, chaired by its chairman Jeffrey M. Talpins, was the first meeting of the Accords countries since January 2023 and the first official engagement to include Kazakhstan. Also present were Aryeh Lightstone, special adviser to the Board of Peace, and Ryan Arant, chief of staff to Under Secretary Hooker. Foundation president Oren Eisner said the gathering aimed to "strengthen existing relationships, welcome new partners, and advance initiatives that deliver tangible benefits." Kazakhstan's ambassador Erzhan Kazykhan described the accords as a platform for trade, investment, connectivity and technological cooperation.
Practical cooperation, no new deals
Participants said the discussion focused on translating diplomatic agreements into concrete regional cooperation — deepening existing ties and identifying practical opportunities for economic and political collaboration. Officials announced no specific new initiatives or agreements at the meeting.
The Abraham Accords, brokered by the Trump administration in 2020, normalized relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, and were later extended to Morocco. The October 7 attacks and the subsequent Gaza war had stalled efforts to expand the framework to more countries.
Sources: Abraham Accords Partners Meet in New York · N7 Foundation Convenes Senior Officials
"Back together"
The US delegation was led by Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker. "Nearly three years after October 7, the Abraham Accords countries are back together," Hooker said, adding that Thursday's session was an important signifier that the accords were "moving forward again." A senior administration official told CBS News that Secretary of State Marco Rubio's team and White House Special Envoy for Peace Missions Steve Witkoff were "clearly prioritizing this effort."
Kazakhstan joins the table
The N7 Foundation said the roundtable, chaired by its chairman Jeffrey M. Talpins, was the first meeting of the Accords countries since January 2023 and the first official engagement to include Kazakhstan. Also present were Aryeh Lightstone, special adviser to the Board of Peace, and Ryan Arant, chief of staff to Under Secretary Hooker. Foundation president Oren Eisner said the gathering aimed to "strengthen existing relationships, welcome new partners, and advance initiatives that deliver tangible benefits." Kazakhstan's ambassador Erzhan Kazykhan described the accords as a platform for trade, investment, connectivity and technological cooperation.
Practical cooperation, no new deals
Participants said the discussion focused on translating diplomatic agreements into concrete regional cooperation — deepening existing ties and identifying practical opportunities for economic and political collaboration. Officials announced no specific new initiatives or agreements at the meeting.
The Abraham Accords, brokered by the Trump administration in 2020, normalized relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, and were later extended to Morocco. The October 7 attacks and the subsequent Gaza war had stalled efforts to expand the framework to more countries.
Sources: Abraham Accords Partners Meet in New York · N7 Foundation Convenes Senior Officials
