How is Central Asia affected by a Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and what can we expect from neighboring countries?

 

Afghanistan has been ravaged by war and conflict continuously since 1979, for over 40 years. In August this year, the situation in the country changed drastically when the Taliban launched a major offensive to regain power in the country. For several weeks, the news around the world was marked by dramatic images from the country.

 

On August 31, the last US forces withdrew from the country, and the situation in Afghanistan appears more chaotic than in many years. How should the countries around now relate to the region, and not least; how will the Taliban regime relate to the rest of the world?

 

  • What does the situation in Afghanistan mean for Central Asia? 
  • How should neighboring countries deal with this?
  • What should be Kazakhstan and Norway take on the situation?

 

With this as a backdrop, we invite an enlightening seminar on the new security policy reality in Central Asia.

 

The seminar starts with posts from xxx and xxx about how the situation is experienced from the Kazakhstani side. The Norwegian participants will then gather for a panel discussion and the way forward. How do Norway look at developments in the region and what steps can be taken? What should be Kazakhstan’s role as a leading state in Central Asia?

 

Participants:

 

        Hårek Elvenes, Member of parliament (Conservative Party), and member of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence.

        Roman Vakulchuk, senior researcher at NUPI.

        Talgat Kaliyev, ex-Special Envoy of the President of Kazakhstan on Afghanistan

        Ambassador Kairat Abusseitov, Kazakhstan diplomat, Head of International Programmes