• 'Only through dialogue and goodwill, a long-lasting settlement, with 2-state solution at its core, can be achieved,' says Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry

ISTANBUL

Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan on Tuesday welcomed the announcement of a new plan by US President Donald Trump the previous day to end the nearly two-year war in the Gaza Strip.

A statement by the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry through the US social media company X said a sustainable and just peace requires "sincere commitment, mutual trust, and respect for international law."

It defined the exchange of prisoners and hostages, as well as addressing the humanitarian needs of the population, as vital to "pave the way for long-term stabilization and political settlement through building confidence and easing tensions."

"Only through dialogue and goodwill, a long-lasting settlement, with the two-state solution at its core, can be achieved," it added.

Separately, in a statement on Telegram, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s press secretary Ruslan Zheldibay quoted him as saying that Astana viewed Trump’s initiative as a “unique opportunity and a crucial step” toward resolving the situation in the Middle East, as well as strengthening interstate trust and establishing a lasting and just peace in the region.

The two statements come after Trump outlined key points of his Gaza ceasefire plan on Monday during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, DC.

The 20-point plan includes the release of Israeli captives in exchange for a number of Palestinian prisoners, the disarmament of the Palestinian group Hamas, and the formation of a "technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee" to temporarily govern the enclave, among other provisions.