The U.S.-Korea Institute at SAIS and the Center for the National Interest are pleased to announce the release of the joint report “Northeast Asia in Afghanistan: Whose Silk Road?“, co-authored by Jae H. Ku, Drew Thompson, and Daniel Wertz.
This report aims to review Northeast Asian interests in Afghanistan, assess their relevance to the United States’ bilateral relations in the region, and explore potential opportunities for expanded cooperation in the region. It reviews past contributions to Afghan reconstruction made by China, South Korea, and Japan, and analyzes each country’s strategic, economic, and security interests in Afghanistan. By exploring areas of common interest and potential cooperation, it aims to suggest opportunities to expand a multilateral strategy for bringing security and development to Afghanistan in the years ahead.
The research for this paper was generously funded through the U.S.-Korea Institute at SAIS, the Tokyo Foundation, and the China Institute of International Studies. Find out more here.
As 97 percent of South Korean energy comes from imports, Central Asia is a very important area for developing and securing foreign energy resources. Among the countries in Central Asia, Kazakhstan has shown the highest tangible economic development results. Moreover, Kazakhstan, compared to other Central Asian countries, has the richest natural resources, a superior economy size, and a relatively stable political situation that could increase the speed of political modernization. Kazakhstan is also leading the region in terms of market reforms. 