Afghanistan

Pakistan currently faces a perfect storm of economic, political and security crises. This Brief explores the key drivers of instability that plague Pakistan and their potential repercussions beyond the country’s borders.

This Brief explores security risks for the EU emanating from Afghanistan by assessing the evolving Islamist terrorism threat since the Taliban regained control of the country in August 2021.

Lying at the crossroads of Central and South Asia, Afghanistan constitutes a key transit hub. This Brief explores how tapping into regional trade, energy and transport connectivity around the country can yield significant benefits for the broader region.

Almost a year on from the chaotic international military withdrawal from Kabul, this Brief draws on a series of roundtable consultations with senior Afghan and EU policymakers to analyse the EU’s role and engagement in Afghanistan over the past two decades.

This Brief identifies a number of critical uncertainties upon which Afghanistan’s future trajectory hinges, and asks: what conditions would allow the Taliban regime to endure over the next five years, and under what conditions might they lose their hold on power?