It is an important question because of its location and its potential to destabilize the wider Middle Eastern region. Afghanistan is located in south-central Asia and has borders with Iran and Turkmenistan, two countries with the second and third largest natural gas reserves in the world. Its location also includes trade routes connecting southern and eastern Asia to Europe and the Middle East. So, the question is still the same, where is Afghanistan headed?
According to an article of January 2017, by the United States Institute for Peace, “Afghanistan’s government is focused on building consensus—both domestically and among states in the region—to support a peace process with the Taliban insurgency, according to the Afghan national security advisor, Hanif Atmar. The main challenges, he said, include continued support from Pakistan for the Taliban and an incremental recent Russian move towards immediate cooperation with the Taliban even without a peace process.”
