The Taliban are still consolidating their government in Afghanistan, after taking over the country. However, they are facing huge problems, from threats coming from branches of Al Qaeda and Daesh that confront the new power, to economic and humanitarian disasters, with a huge famine crisis and the exodus of expertise manpower. Influential neighbours, mostly Pakistan and Iran, but also Russia and China, are now, probably more than they already were before, exerting their own influence over the new regime. So, what short-term scenarios could one expect?

These were some questions addressed by the panel. From New York, Barnett Rubin, one of the more well-known experts on Afghanistan; from Cabul, Shukria Barakzai, women’s rights activist and former Ambassador; from Lisbon, Victor Ângelo, former UN Under Secretary General; from Porto, Cátia Moreira de Carvalho, expert on the psychology of terrorism. The conversation was moderated from Coimbra by Bernardo Fazendeiro, professor of International Relations and working on Central Asia issues.

You can (re)watch the debate on Facebook and YouTube (direct links).

This webinar was co-organised by the Club of Lisbon and the School of Economics of the University of Coimbra, with the usual support of the Câmara Municipal de Lisboa and the Instituto Marquês de Valle Flôr - IMVF.