The goals, problems and prospects of Afghanistan’s participation in SAARC
Abstract
The article deals with the goals, problems and prospects of Afghanistan’s participation in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). The purpose of the study is to find out the reasons why the participation of Afghanistan in the SAARC was not beneficial to either party. The study of this issue relevant with regard to the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan scheduled for early September 2021, which may give the country more freedom in foreign policy, while the regional powerful actors may receive the opportunity increase their influence in Afghanistan. Since SAARC is the only regional integration organization that includes Afghanistan, it is likely that with the diminishing influence of the US, South Asia will become one of the most attractive areas of cooperation for Afghanistan. The admission of Afghanistan to this organization in 2007 could have been a mutually beneficial move, if it were not for SAARC’s incessant internal disputes and Afghanistan’s domestic challenges and problems. The author concludes that due to the SAARC’s weakness and Afghanistan’s inherent problems, the participation of this country in the organization will not be beneficial to either party.
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Review
For citations:
Gulam N. The goals, problems and prospects of Afghanistan’s participation in SAARC. International Aspect. 2021;2(2):55-68. (In Russ.)
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