On October 13, 2021, within the framework of the joint cooperation plan of JSC "Center for Military Strategic research" of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the National Defense University of the Islamic Republic of Iran, a webinar on the topic "Prospects for the development of Afghanistan" was held.

The webinar was attended by experts from the leading think tanks of the countries of Central Asia and the Middle East – CMSR JSC, the Institute for National Security Studies and the National Defense University of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The agenda of the webinar included questions on the situation in Afghanistan, in the countries of Central Asia and the Middle East, on common challenges and threats to Kazakhstan and Iran, on forecast scenarios with the coming to power of the Taliban, on bilateral cooperation in countering terrorism and extremism, as well as on the role of the SCO and the CSTO in conflict resolution in Afghanistan.

Vice-President Tairov R.A. and Chief Researcher Adranova A.K. took part from the Kazakh side. In their speeches, they noted that after the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan and the Taliban came to power, the situation in the country and in the region became turbulent.

Currently, there are risks and threats associated with the spread of terrorism and extremism, the growth of illegal arms and drug trafficking, illegal migration, the influx of refugees, the penetration of destructive elements into neighboring countries, the activation of dormant extremist organizations in Central Asian countries.

According to UN estimates, today half of Afghans need humanitarian assistance, one in three is deprived of access to food. Therefore, it is important to prevent a humanitarian and food crisis in Afghanistan.

The issues of humanitarian assistance to the population of Afghanistan both inside the country and abroad were discussed at the extraordinary G-20 summit, which was held on October 12, 2021 in an online conference. As the situation in this country is rapidly approaching a humanitarian catastrophe, many world politicians are ready to agree that cooperation with the new Taliban government is inevitable. The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, proposed to allocate a package of assistance to Afghanistan in the amount of one billion euros, of which 300 million euros – to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe.

Dr. Sharifi S.S., Secretary of the Indian Subcontinent Research Department and Dr. Alizadeh A., Deputy Director of the Institute for National Security Studies, took part from the Iranian side.

During their speeches, Iranian experts considered the forecast scenarios of "peace" or "civil war" in Afghanistan and their consequences for the countries of Central Asia and the Middle East, as well as external and internal factors that can directly affect regional security. Experts noted that the cooperation and recognition of the Taliban authorities by the international community will depend on their further behavior.

In conclusion, the participants of the webinar noted that such events will contribute to the development of scientifically sound recommendations for the military and political leadership of countries and regional security institutions to counter the threats of terrorism, drug trafficking and other crime emanating from Afghan territory.