Geostrategic importance of Afghanistan for the U.S.

Due to the geographical and geopolitical situation of their country, the Afghan people have been living through a tragedy that has continued since April 1978. The association AfA e.V. was founded to inform the German and Afghan public about its complex causes.

Knowledge meets encounter: a high-calibre expert lecture on the geostrategic importance of Afghanistan

On 29 August 2026, the Aufklärungsforum Afghanistan e.V. invited guests to a three-hour expert event at the Haus der Begegnung in Königstein, at which Dr Julian Voje – a German expert on security and foreign policy who earned his doctorate in 2014 at the University of Bonn on the geostrategic importance of Afghanistan from the U.S. perspective, having previously studied political science, history and economics – shed light on the shifting role of the region. Before about 75 participants from politics, regional journalism in the Hochtaunuskreis and the Afghan diaspora living in the Rhine-Main area, he set out his core message: over decades, Afghanistan was never an isolated flashpoint of conflict but always formed a central pivot of global security interests and of geopolitical shifts of power between the great powers. Since the neighbouring regions are caught in a permanent dilemma between the desire for stability and their own exertion of influence through proxies, the withdrawal of Western troops by no means marks the end of global interest; rather, today more than ever, it calls for a critical examination of the regional and global consequences for international security and human rights.

Following this academic part, the guests took the opportunity to talk in person over coffee, cake and the presentation of traditional Afghan dishes by Farsane Baraki, thus combining the sharing of knowledge with intercultural encounter.

Photos: Axel Gundlach

Commentary by Dr Julian Voje

At the invitation of the Aufklärungsforum Afghanistan (AfA), I had the privilege of speaking at the Haus der Begegnung in Königstein on the geostrategic importance of Afghanistan for the U.S. The audience was exceptionally interested, and a lively, well-founded expert exchange developed that went far beyond the lecture. Discussing with such an engaged audience gave me great pleasure.

Since the Taliban seized power, the situation in Afghanistan has been precarious. The population is denied fundamental rights; girls and women are excluded from education and employment. Nevertheless, the country has largely disappeared from public and political discourse.

The AfA counters this development: it raises awareness, informs and is building a knowledge platform that keeps Afghanistan visible in its historical, political and cultural complexity. The event series combines academic analysis with access to civil society on the ground, for example through the presentation of the girls’ school in Herat. I consider the association expressly worthy of support and will gladly come back at any time.

— Dr Julian Voje