The European Union in Afghanistan: impressions of my term as special representative

Abstract

[Introduction]: Before arriving in Australia 8 months ago, I was witness to one of the world’s present hotspots – Afghanistan. I’d like to make a couple of introductory remarks about the nature of my position there. This job was inextricably linked with the European Union’s vision. It represents an extension of the Union’s original role, to deal with the broader political issues of the day. It is obvious to me that the EU is misunderstood in this country and one of the reasons is that the political dimension of this enterprise is poorly understood. The basic idea of the Union is as a peaceful and prosperous cooperative entity. The enterprise has grown from 6 members in 1957, to 9 in 1973, to 12 members in 1981, to 15 in 1995, and probably to 25 by 2004. As the Union grows in membership, the development of a European security policy becomes increasingly important. Until the end of last year, the focus of the European Union’s common foreign policy was on instability near its borders. The conflict in the former Yugoslavia and continuing hostilities in the Middle East are the most notable examples. Show more