BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 17. Kazakhstan’s
accession to the Abraham Accords is expected to open new
opportunities for cooperation with Israel across multiple sectors,
Ambassador of Israel to Kazakhstan Yoav Bistritsky told Trend in an exclusive
interview.
He recalled that President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced in
November 2025 that Kazakhstan would join the accords, although the
formal signing ceremony required for them to enter into force has
not yet taken place.
“Despite the fact that Kazakhstan and Israel have maintained
diplomatic relations for 34 years, we believe that joining the
Abraham Accords will open up new opportunities,” the ambassador
said.
The ambassador explained that the move will help bring the two
countries closer, elevate the level of cooperation, and enable
engagement in new fields such as cybersecurity, digital
technologies, and artificial intelligence, while also creating
potential in strategically important sectors for the region,
including water management and food security.
Ambassador Bistritsky noted that participation in the Abraham
Accords could expand cooperation beyond the bilateral level.
“We are looking at the possibility of establishing a regional
working group that would include not only Kazakhstan and Israel,
but also partners such as the UAE, Morocco, and the United States,”
he said.
The official added that a Memorandum of Understanding and
Cooperation was signed between the Ministry of Water Resources and
Irrigation of Kazakhstan and the Ministry of Regional Cooperation
of Israel in November 2025, which could also include the
establishment of a working group.
“The bilateral mechanism would provide opportunities for Israeli
companies to share their expertise at the national and municipal
levels. We have seen this model successfully implemented in
cooperation with Azerbaijan, and we hope to share the experience of
Israeli companies and the Israeli Water Authority in Kazakhstan,”
he explained.
The ambassador emphasized the importance of the Joint Economic
Committee, noting that it is expected to reconvene in 2026.
“We are expecting it to meet in Israel, probably around the
summer or the beginning of fall. Both countries anticipate more
official visits in 2026, with officials travelling from Israel to
Kazakhstan and vice versa,” Ambassador Bistritsky said.
He added that ongoing and planned cooperation projects in water
management, food security, tourism, artificial intelligence,
digitalization, and aviation are progressing well, at either
preliminary or more advanced stages, creating a solid foundation
for a deeper partnership.
According to him, Israel is also looking to support Kazakhstan’s
digital and AI agenda. Ambassador Bistritsky noted that Israel
considers itself an advanced country in the fields of technology,
digital solutions, and artificial intelligence and is interested in
developing cooperation with Kazakhstan in these areas. He recalled
that President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has declared 2026 the Year of
Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence in Kazakhstan.
“Israel sees strong potential to support Kazakhstan’s digital
and AI development agenda. We definitely believe that Israel can
support these initiatives,” the ambassador stressed.
In addition to digital technologies, Israel is also interested
in expanding cooperation in the energy and mineral sectors.
“Kazakhstan is an energy supplier to Israel. We are looking at ways
to further strengthen this cooperation,” Ambassador Bistritsky
said.
He noted that Israel could aid Kazakhstan through digitalization
and smart energy solutions. “What Israel can bring is expertise in
digitalization and smart energy technologies. We are exploring the
possibility of launching joint projects in these areas,” he
added.
The ambassador also confirmed ongoing discussions on cooperation
in advanced technologies. Israeli institutions, including the Cyber
Security Authority, have shown interest in partnering with their
Kazakh counterparts.
He noted that Kazakhstan has recently established a new Ministry
of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, and Israel is
looking forward to building cooperation with this institution.
“We hope that in the near future we will be able to sign several
memorandums of understanding related to these projects and
initiatives,” Ambassador Bistritsky said.
According to him, Kazakhstan plays a strategically important
role as a corridor between East and West, given its proximity to
Russia, Europe, and China. “This geographical position creates
significant opportunities for Israel to expand its markets beyond
its borders,” the ambassador said.
He added that Israeli companies are demonstrating interest in
entering the Kazakh market, either by opening offices in the
country or by partnering with local firms, including within the
framework of Astana Hub.
Moreover, Ambassador Bistritsky highlighted that progress is
being made on a visa-free regime for Kazakh citizens travelling to
Israel, noting that Israeli citizens already enjoy visa-free entry
to Kazakhstan.
The ambassador also stressed the resumption of direct flights,
pointing out that SCAT Airlines will begin operating from Shymkent
to Israel on June 9. He recalled that Air Astana had flown from
Almaty to Tel Aviv for just one month before the Gaza conflict in
October 2023, and for the past two years, there have been no direct
flights.
“For us, the resumption of flights is a big step forward, and we
see significant potential for tourism on both sides. Together with
flights and the visa-free regime, we expect a substantial expansion
of tourism between Kazakhstan and Israel,” Ambassador Bistritsky
added.
He concluded by underlining that both countries aim to deepen
cooperation across multiple sectors in 2026.
“We are looking into concrete projects in water management, food
security, tourism, AI, digitalization, and aviation. All projects
are moving at a good pace, either in preliminary or more advanced
stages, and we are hopeful that this year will see strong progress
in these areas,” he said.
