RECONNECTING CENTRAL AND SOUTH ASIA WITH AFGHANISTAN: A VISION OF COMMON FUTURE

Abstract

The article examines the prospects for development of regional connectivity between the countries of Central and South Asia in the context of cooperation with Afghanistan. The main focus is a study of initiatives and projects being implemented and considered between the countries of the two regions in the areas of trade and economic, transit and transport, water and energy cooperation. Particular attention in the work is paid to understanding the directions in which regional interconnectedness of the countries of Central and South Asia will develop in the context of cooperation with Afghanistan.

The relationship between Central and South Asia is inextricably linked with the history of Afghanistan. Due to its geography, this country has been an important crossroads between Central and South Asia for many centuries. The peoples of these regions have historically had extensive trade and cultural ties.

However, Afghanistan's new times history has been associated with a long-term confrontation between global powers in Afghan soil. This circumstance has made this country an insurmountable barrier between Central and South Asia for decades. Only after the well-known events of 2021, referring to the withdrawal of international forces and the second return of the Taliban movement to power here, Afghanistan lives in the conditions of relatively new political realities. At the same time, the main problem remains relevant for Afghanistan - the eradication of dysfunction in relations between Afghanistan and its neighbor countries. The resolution of this problem will have an impact on many issues related to the development of regional connectivity in Central and South Asia. In particular, Afghanistan and its neighbors in Central and South Asia should explore ways to expand cooperation in various areas - from economics and trade, energy and transport to the fight against cross-border terrorism, water and other common resource management. Failure in these endeavors will lead to instability in a vast territory adjacent to Afghanistan.