Partners for Stability

It is necessary for Afghanistan's neighbors to become part of the country's reconstruction - Iran, China, Tadjikistan, Russia, and India have complex interests in the conflict-ridden country and seek to position themselves for the drawdown of the Western presence. Cross border issues, such as drug trafficking or Islamism, as well as rich resources, connect the fate of Afghanistan to that of its neighbors. Pakistan, in particular, as safe haven for the Taliban, is both a partner of Afghanistan and a source of its problems. The regional approach is a crucial element of any future vision for the Hindukush. The allies in the International Security Assistance Force have no strategy on how to win these diverse neighbors as partners - while the decision on withdrawal has already been made. In this collection, specialists from the US, Europe, and Central Asia discuss this concern. Special attention is given to the role of NATO and the European Union in creating regional partnerships. The book's contributors debated the papers at DGAP workshops in Berlin, Washington, and Brussels, supported by the German Marshall Fund of the US. (Series: DGAP-Miscellanies about International Politics / DGAP-Schriften zur Internationalen Politik)