The Greater Central Asia region refers to Xinjing (China), Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Iran. This region is important for energy security, trade, and the combating of terrorism and fundamentalism, which involve key countries such as USA, China, India, and Russia.

This seminar seeks to analyze the geo-strategic game in the region, its history, players and possible outlook. The speaker will highlight China’s recent One Belt One Road initiative as well as the establishment of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and its impact on the geo-strategic game.

About the Speaker:
Honourable, Mr. Ahmad Zahir Faqiri, holding a Deputy Ambassadorial rank, has served as the Deputy Permanent Representatives to UNESCO HQ in Paris; Minister, Deputy Permanent Representative to United Nations Headquarters in New York; and Minister Plenipotentiary and Deputy Ambassador to Washington D.C.

A graduate of the Diplomatic and Strategic Studies Center in Paris, France, Mr. Faqiri is both an academic and a practitioner in the fields of diplomacy, international relations, strategic studies and Central Asian history. He has worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan for the last 15 years, during which he acted as Spokesman and General Director of Median relation from April 2009 to May 2011. Mr. Faqiri was heavily involved in the politics of Afghanistan for the recent years, in particular, designing of the Paris, London, Kabul and Tokyo Conferences on Afghanistan.

Mr. Faqiri has been a guest lecturer at Columbia University in New York, George Town University in Washington DC, Emory University of Georgia State, Utah State University, Maryland University, American University, District of Columbia University and many other Universities and think tanks on Afghanistan, South Asian and Central Asia.