Afghanistan and Its Neighbors after the NATO Withdrawal

Amin Saikal is professor and director of the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies (Middle East and Central Asia) at the Australian National University.Kirill Nourzhanov is senior lecturer at the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies (Middle East and Central Asia) at the Australian National University.

• Introduction, Amin Saikal and Kirill NourzhanovPart I: Afghanistan in the post-Taliban Era: The Politics and Geopolitics of SurvivalChapter 1: Afghanistan: A Geopolitical Paradox, Amin SaikalChapter 2: US Policies and Practices towards Afghanistan and Central Asia since 2001, M. Nazif ShahraniPart II: Traditional Regional Players: Iran, Pakistan, and IndiaChapter 3: A New Phase in Relations between Iran and Afghanistan, Shahram AkbarzadehChapter 4: Beyond Strategic Depth? Pakistan’s Evolving Relationship with Afghanistan, Aly ZamanChapter 5: “New Regionalism” and Afghanistan: The Role of India, Meena Singh RoyPart III: Afghanistan as Viewed from Central Asia Chapter 6: Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Desecuritization, and Regional Security, Reuel R. HanksChapter 7: Kazakhstan’s Policy toward Afghanistan: Context, Drivers, and Outcomes, Nargis KassenovaChapter 8: Political and Economic Pragmatism: Turkmenistan and Afghanistan since 1991, Sebastien PeyrouseChapter 9: Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan’s Diminishing Relationship, Christian BleuerChapter 10: Central Asian Security after 2014: The Case of Tajikistan, Mahmadyusuf TashrifovPart IV: Afghanistan and Central Asia in a Wider International Context Chapter 11: Russia’s Afghanistan Policy after 2014: Staying at an Arm’s Length and Preparing for the Worst, Kirill NourzhanovChapter 12: China in Afghanistan: Navigating a “Terrain of Hazards” in Search of Geopolitical Opportunity?, Michael ClarkeChapter 13: The European Union in the Heartland: A Normative Power Looking for a Strategy in Central Eurasia, Emilian KavalskiConclusion, Amin Saikal and Kirill Nourzhanov

The volume is a good source for the study of the geopolitics of Eurasia in general as well as Afghanistan in particular. The individual chapters can also serve as independent reference points for future research into related topics. This volume is an invaluable addition to the existing discussion on the geopolitics of Eurasia.