Join us as we explore the European Union’s role in Afghanistan with Dr Oz Hassan. This interview examines the challenges of implementing the ‘Bonn Model,’ balancing democratisation with security, and the EU’s engagement with Afghanistan’s neighbours. Discover the key lessons for the EU from its complex involvement in Afghan reconstruction and governance.
Content
- EU’s Misjudgement of Afghanistan’s Political and Social Complexities Through the ‘Bonn Model’
- Why the ‘Bonn Model’ Was Selected
- EU’s Focus on Democratisation Over Security in Afghanistan
- Afghanistan as a Post-Conflict Territory: A Flawed Assumption
- Unity Among EU Member States in Afghan Policy
- EU’s Strategic Interests in Afghanistan
- EU’s Historical Experience with Imposing Governance in Afghanistan
- EU’s Approach to Establishing Political Order in Afghanistan
- Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund vs Corruption Challenges
- EU’s Engagement with Afghanistan’s Neighbouring Countries
- Narcotics and Drug Trade in Afghanistan
- Complexities of Cross-Border Emigration from Afghanistan
- Reactions from Russia, China, and the Caucasus
- Key Lessons for the EU from Afghanistan
Oz Hassan
Oz is a Reader of National Security in the Politics and International Studies Department at the University of Warwick. His research focuses on Transatlantic relations with the Greater Middle East. He is the author of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) study entitled ‘Afghanistan: Lessons learnt from 20 years of supporting democracy, development and security’, which provides further guidance on how the EU can continue delivering support and assistance to Afghanistan. It is the only official lesson-learned study for the EU, and it makes 32 recommendations to inform parliamentary resolutions and the European Commission.
Selected Publications:
Afghanistan: Lessons learnt from 20 years of supporting democracy, development and security
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EXPO_STU(2023)702579
Hassan, O. (2020). The evolution of the European Union’s failed approach to Afghanistan. European Security, 29(1), 74–95. https://doi.org/10.1080/09662839.2019.1679773
Hassan, O. (2024). Why the European Union failed in Afghanistan: Transatlantic relations and the return of the Taliban. Bristol University Press.
