Afghanistan is stepping into a new phase, where it must look after its own security and development. The revival of its economy and society, the impending NATO withdrawal, increased Taliban presence in and around Pakistan, the spread of ISIS in the neighbourhood – all these are challenges that lie ahead for the new government.
What role can countries like India, with its own renewed focus on engagement with SAARC, play in assisting Afghanistan’s transition, and in mitigating the turmoil beyond in West Asia? How can Afghanistan prevent ISIS from linking up with the Taliban to spread its aggression on to Afghan soil and beyond? What role can the West play, differently from the last decade of engagement in Afghanistan, that will ensure its continued societal and security progress, which can have a positive demonstration effect on a region now under extremist pressure?
On July 9, Gateway House hosted Chris Alexander, Canadian Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and a former Ambassador to Afghanistan, to discuss these issues and offer insights into the risks and prospects for Afghanistan, West Asia and perceived concerns of Muslim immigration to the West.
Chris Alexander was elected to the House of Commons in May 2011. Previously, he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence in May 2011. Prior to entering federal politics, he was posted at the Canadian Embassy in Russia, and in 2003, he was Canada’s first resident Ambassador in Afghanistan. From 2005-2009, he also served as a Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.
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