Central Asia: the view from the south

The withdrawal of ISAF troops from Afghanistan and broader questions over the region’s future have turned the spotlight on Kabul’s relationship with its Central Asian neighbours. But increased cooperation in the areas of energy and trade, in conjunction with shared concerns over extremism and regional instability, rendered Central Asia relevant also for Pakistan and, further south, India.

What uniteed Kabul, Islamabad and Delhi was the need to strengthen connectivity with Central Asia. This was of particular importance for Afghanistan, given the uncertain economic outlook facing Kabul, although a similar – if less urgent – logic applied to the other southern neighbours as well. But attaining these objectives was made difficult by weak bilateral and regional relations as well as overlapping and partially contradictory institutional settings and external initiatives. The picture was further complicated by lack of trust between countries, authoritarian regimes, and corruption involving central government and local officials.

Issue Alert by Eva Gross