Publication

The report examines how regional developments in Central/South Asia may affect the prospects for stabilization in Afghanistan. Given that the regional security dynamics played an important role in aggravating the conflict in Afghanistan in the 1990s, the report juxtaposes the situation in the 1990s with the present state of affairs and aims to assess the potential regional impact. The findings indicate that the region, still marked by inter-regional rivalry and security concerns, has nevertheless undergone substantial changes, most notably shaped by the rise of China and India, as well as by increasing regional cooperation in trade, transport and energy, which adds a nascent yet significant liberal element to regional affairs.