Wie geht es weiter in Afghanistan und was bedeutet das für Zentralasien?

The region of Central Asia has increasingly become the focus of public interest as a bridge between the Middle East, Russia, and Asia since the International Security Assistance Force’s (ISAF) withdrawal from Afghanistan. The international strategic importance of the five Central Asian states Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan is great. But how stable is the region? Is a new foreign-policy flashpoint emerging there?

The GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies and the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy (IFSH), two Hamburg institutes, wish to assess the prospects for security in Central Asia. They cordially invite you to a series of round-table discussions made up of a selected group of representatives from politics, academia, the military, the media, and civil society.

Part II:

What Happens Next in Afghanistan and What Does This Mean for Central Asia?

The ISAF withdrawal in 2014 is history, the stability in Afghanistan remains precarious, and the near and distant future of the country and the region is uncertain. What impacts are the violence in Afghanistan, the resurgence of the Taliban, and the first signs of Islamic State activities having on the neighbouring states of Central Asia? It is not just the long border and Islam that connect Afghanistan and the Central Asia region – in northern Afghanistan there are large Uzbek, Tajik, and Turkmen minority populations.

Four experts comment on the current situation in Afghanistan and its impacts on Central Asia and the neighbouring regions. Thomas Ruttig focuses on the present state of affairs in Afghanistan, particularly in the northern border region. He also explores the role of Central Asia in Kabul politics. Azamjon Isabaev sheds light on the importance of Afghanistan’s security for the Central Asian states and their Afghan policy, which is now much different from that of the 1990s. Michael Schmunk looks at the cooperation of NATO, the EU, and Germany with Afghanistan and the effects of this engagement on Central Asia. Christian Wagner discusses Pakistan’s role.

Welcome: Prof. Michael Brzoska (IFSH), Prof. Henner Fürtig (GIGA)

Speaker: Thomas Ruttig (Afghan Analyst Network) Azamjon Isabaev (IFSH) Ambassador Michael Schmunk (GIGA/Federal Foreign Office) Christian Wagner (German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP))

Moderation: Sebastian Schiek (IFSH)