China

Afghanistan

Economics

Beijing's envoy to Afghanistan said in an Oct. 24 post on X that China will offer the Afghan Taliban tariff-free access to its construction, energy and consumer sectors, Reuters reported on Oct. 25.

Afghanistan, China: Beijing To Offer Taliban Tariff-Free Trade

Turkmenistan

Energy

Afghanistan and Turkmenistan resumed work on the long-delayed Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) natural gas pipeline, as Afghanistan and Turkmenistan work on bolstering bilateral ties, Voice of America reported Sept. 12.

Afghanistan, Turkmenistan: Work on Long-Delayed Regional Natural Gas Pipeline Resumes

United Arab Emirates

Politics

The United Arab Emirates accepted the credentials of the ambassador of the Afghan Taliban, Al-Monitor reported on Aug. 23.

UAE, Afghanistan: UAE Accepts Afghan Taliban Ambassador

Canada

Australia

Germany

Greece

France

Sweden

United Kingdom

Belgium

Poland

Norway

Austria

Switzerland

Italy

The Afghan Taliban's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it would not honor documents, including passports and visas, issued by diplomats linked to the former Western-backed Islamic Republic of Afghanistan at several missions in Europe and other Western countries, AP reported on July 30. 

Afghanistan: Taliban Disavows Some Afghan Diplomatic Missions in Europe and Other Western Countries

The Afghan Taliban was invited to and participated in a June 30-July 1 U.N.-led meeting on Afghanistan in Doha, Qatar, but an official from the U.N. Department of Political Affairs clarified on July 2 that this did not signify ''normalization or recognition'' of the group, AP reported July 2.

Afghanistan: Afghan Taliban Participates in U.N.-Led Meeting in Doha

Tajikistan

Kazakhstan

Russia

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called on members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, or CSTO, to support Astana's proposal to establish a U.N. regional center to develop trade and economic ties with Taliban-led Afghanistan, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported on June 3.

Kazakhstan, Tajikistan: Kazakh and Tajik Leaders Spar Over Afghanistan Initiatives

Uzbekistan

Military & Security

Russia's Foreign Ministry and Justice Ministry advised President Vladimir Putin to remove the Afghan Taliban from Russia's list of terrorist organizations, Meduza reported on May 27.

Russia, Afghanistan: Russia Proposes Removing Taliban From List of Terrorist Organizations

The Afghan Taliban began destroying poppy fields in the northeastern province of Badakhshan on May 3, triggering local resistance and around two days of violent protests in which Afghan Taliban fighters fired their weapons to disperse protesters, killing two people, Voice of America reported on May 5.

Afghanistan: Enforcement of Poppy Ban Triggers Rare Violent Protests in Northeast

Assessments

United States

Turkey

Cambodia

Japan

Kyrgyzstan

The Geopolitics of Water

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

The escalating impacts of climate change and water scarcity will inflame tensions between Central Asian countries, raising the risk of violent state conflict in the coming decades. 

The Geopolitics of Water: The Looming Threat of Central Asian 'Water Wars'

Pakistan

A man looks at damage from a Balochistan Liberation Army attack Jan. 30 in central Bolan district in Balochistan province, Pakistan. Economic and political constraints will limit the scale and efficacy of Pakistan's latest counterterrorism campaign, sustaining the threat of militant attacks and delays to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor despite likely efforts to bolster foreigners' security and engagement with key foreign stakeholders.

Economic and political constraints will limit the scale and efficacy of Pakistan's latest counterterrorism campaign, sustaining the threat of militant attacks and delays to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor despite likely efforts to bolster foreigners' security and engagement with key foreign stakeholders.

The Implications of Pakistan's Renewed Counterterrorism Campaign

Iran

A delegation of Afghan Taliban officials walks down a hotel lobby in Doha, Qatar, in August 2021. 

A combination of security considerations and economic opportunities will continue to ease the Afghan Taliban's international isolation in the years ahead, but many countries will remain wary of close relations with the group or its formal recognition.

The Afghan Taliban's International Isolation Appears To Be Easing

Snapshots

Ukraine

Emergency services vehicles are seen outside the burning Crocus City Hall concert hall following a shooting incident in Krasnogorsk, outside Moscow, Russia, on March 22, 2024. 

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

While the attack was likely conducted by Islamist extremists or North Caucasian groups, the Kremlin will nonetheless use the mass casualty incident to further villainize Ukraine and the West, and expand its war efforts against Kyiv.

What To Make of the Deadly Terrorist Attack in Moscow

Afghan refugees arrive at the Chaman border crossing in Pakistan before departing for Afghanistan on Nov. 4, 2023. 

Islamabad's push to send Afghan migrants back home will likely worsen security threats in Pakistan, while further destabilizing Afghanistan and potentially the broader region.

The Implications of Pakistan's Deportation Drive and New Cross-Border Travel Policy

Media

South Africa

Sudan

Zimbabwe

Argentina

Chile

Ecuador

Israel

Palestinian Territories

India

Podcasts

Cyber

Social Issues

What Q3 security risks should companies expect and prepare for?

Essential Geopolitics: An Overview of RANE's Q3 Forecast

Qatar

Qatar's then deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani (center), speaks during a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in Washington D.C. on Feb. 10, 2023. 

The meeting suggests the Taliban may be willing to compromise on some issues, but such talks are unlikely to yield significant change in Afghanistan anytime soon. 

What to Make of the Rare Meeting Between the Taliban’s Leader and Qatar's Prime Minister

What risks does the Taliban face as the fighting season begins?

Essential Geopolitics: Recent Security Developments in Afghanistan

Central Asia is reemerging as a key region for trans-Eurasian trade, but not without complications.

Applied Geopolitics: Central Asia's Geopolitical Challenges

Afghanistan's acting Deputy Prime Minister, Abdul Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, (L) and China's Ambassador to Afghanistan, Wang Yu, (R) attend a press conference to announce an oil extraction contract with a Chinese company in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Jan. 5, 2023.

China's investment in Afghanistan may be modest, but it is key to the South Asian nation's economic recovery.

The Future of Chinese Investment in Afghanistan

Learn how the rise of the extremist group Islamic State Khorasan Province is plaguing Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Essential Geopolitics: The Implications of Deteriorating Security in Afghanistan and Pakistan

A delegation led by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (left) meets with a delegation led by Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari at the State Department in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 26, 2022.

Washington remains unlikely to substantially increase its economic involvement in the country, despite Islamabad's efforts to expand the countries' security-focused relationship.

After a Rocky Few Years, Pakistan Tries to Mend Ties With the U.S. 

<p>Afghanistan is a landlocked country in South Asia bordering China, Pakistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Spanning over 652,000 square miles, the majority-Muslim country&#39;s geography can be divided into the highlands, the northern plains and the southwestern plateau. Mountains are Afghanistan&#39;s dominant geographic feature, with the Hindu Kush range running at a southwestern angle and roughly dividing the country in half. The four most important cities are the capital Kabul in the east, Kandahar in the south, Herat in the west, and Mazar-i-Sharif in the north. Because of its location, the country functions as a bridge between energy-rich Central Asia and energy-deficient South Asia. Afghanistan&#39;s primary geographic challenge is resisting the intervention of outside powers while also maintaining authority over a mostly rural society spread across a rugged landscape. Afghanistan&#39;s location at the crossroads of the Middle East, Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent has historically invited external actors, resulting in a country containing diverse languages, cultures and ethnicities. Indeed, Afghan society includes significant populations of Pashtun, Tajiks, Turkmens, Uzbeks and Hazaras. Each of these groups share populations in a neighboring country, encouraging external involvement. The borders of modern-day Afghanistan were drawn during the 19th century to carve out a space between the British and Russian empires. Afghanistan&#39;s most contentious boundary is with Pakistan and is called the Durand Line. Afghanistan disputes the border, claiming that its true boundary should absorb Pakistan&#39;s Pashtun-majority region. This fuels the antagonism between the two countries and plays a role in Afghanistan&#39;s broader challenge of asserting sovereignty as outside actors try to advance their own interests.</p>

SITUATION REPORTS

Afghanistan, China: Beijing To Offer Taliban Tariff-Free Trade

Afghanistan, Turkmenistan: Work on Long-Delayed Regional Natural Gas Pipeline Resumes

UAE, Afghanistan: UAE Accepts Afghan Taliban Ambassador

Afghanistan: Taliban Disavows Some Afghan Diplomatic Missions in Europe and Other Western Countries

Afghanistan: Afghan Taliban Participates in U.N.-Led Meeting in Doha

Kazakhstan, Tajikistan: Kazakh and Tajik Leaders Spar Over Afghanistan Initiatives

Russia, Afghanistan: Russia Proposes Removing Taliban From List of Terrorist Organizations

Afghanistan: Enforcement of Poppy Ban Triggers Rare Violent Protests in Northeast

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