Islamic Republic of Afghanistan: President Ashraf Ghani

*** For security reasons, it is recommended guests arrive for check-in and screening at least 1 hour in advance of the program start time. A government-issued ID will be required to match with the guest list for admittance***

The Asia Society is delighted to host His Excellency Dr. Ashraf Ghani, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, for an address, to be followed by a moderated discussion on the prospects for peace and security in Afghanistan.

Earlier this year, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, leader of Hezb-e Islami, returned to Kabul and public life following a peace deal with the Afghan government — with some hoping this deal can serve as a roadmap for a settlement with the Taliban as well. While peace talks were not part of Trump’s Afghanistan strategy announcement in late August, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson expressed a willingness to support peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban. Is a negotiated peace deal with the Taliban still on the table? What about newer players such as the Islamic State?

Speakers

H.E. Dr. Ashraf Ghani is President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Prior to being elected in 2014, he served as Chairman of the Transition Coordination Commission, which was responsible for transferring authority from foreign to national troops. He served as the Chief Adviser to then-interim President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai, until he was appointed as Finance Minister under the Karzai administration. Dr. Ghani returned to the country after the fall of the Taliban in 2001, having worked at the World Bank as lead anthropologist, and served as Special Adviser to Ambassador Lakhdar Brahimi, the UN Secretary General’s special envoy to Afghanistan.

***Moderator TBA