President Yitzchak Herzog met Monday in Astana with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, where he outlined a plan to significantly boost economic ties and advance cooperation between the two countries.

Following Herzog’s arrival earlier in the day, the two leaders first held a one-on-one meeting before convening a broader session with senior Kazakh officials. According to Herzog’s office, discussions centered on strengthening bilateral relations and expanding strategic collaboration.

“I would like to focus on how we can double, triple, and more the volume of business and trade between our nations. We are close to approving direct flights, and I think that this can have a huge impact on business and trade, especially as part of the Abraham Accords family,” Herzog says in the readout.

Kazakhstan formally joined the Abraham Accords in November under an agreement brokered by the Trump administration. However, the country has maintained diplomatic relations with Israel since 1992, making its inclusion largely symbolic.

Tokayev praised the broader regional impact of the agreements, telling Herzog that “the Abraham Accords have fundamentally reconfigured the Middle East’s geopolitical architecture, creating a strategic framework for regional stability, shared prosperity and collaborative efforts to address common challenges.”

He also emphasized Kazakhstan’s stance on religious tolerance, stating, “With pride, we emphasize that there is no antisemitism in Kazakhstan.”