INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Evgeni PASTUKHOV

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Evgeni Pastukhov, Researcher, Investment Profitability Research Agency (Almaty, Kazakhstan)

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Last year, Afghanistan’s foreign policy was largely determined by the fact that the world community continued to rivet its attention on this country. Its keen interest in the events going on in and around it was aroused by the fact that the situation within the country is still having a significant impact on stability in the region, on the security system of its states, and on the interrelations of such players on the Central Asian field as the U.S., Russia, Iran, Pakistan, China, and India.

Afghanistan’s foreign policy has also become more active since the country became a full-fledged member of the international community after the overthrow of the Taliban. Judging from the energetic activity of the country’s leadership, primarily of its president, Hamid Karzai, who made official visits to several European and neighboring countries, official Kabul is gradually trying to establish its place in the rapidly changing world.

A significant role in improving the country’s image on the international area was played by the decisions of the Afghani government to support those states suffering from natural disasters. For example, in January, Afghanistan sent humanitarian aid to the South Asian countries hit by the tsunami at the end of December 2004: twenty military medics flew to Sri Lanka and five tons of medication and medical equipment were also sent there. In September, Kabul allotted 100,000 dollars to the victims of Hurricane Katrina in the south of the U.S., and on 22 November, 500,000 dollars were sent to the earthquake victims in Pakistan.

What is more, Kabul is striving to reinforce relations with neighboring states and establish a dialog with other countries in order to……………….

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